Code: JGC
160-4-8-.18 DIABETES MEDICAL MANAGEMENT PLANS.
(1) DEFINITIONS.
(a) Diabetes medical management plan - a document developed by the student's
physician or other health care professional that sets out the health services, including the
student's target range for blood glucose levels, needed by the student at school and is
signed by the student's parent or guardian.
(b) Health care professional - a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed by the
Georgia Composite Medical Board pursuant to Article 2, Chapter 34, Title 43 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated or a legally authorized designee acting pursuant to
job description or nurse protocol agreement approved by the Georgia Composite Medical
Board.
(c) Trained diabetes personnel - a school employee who volunteers to be trained in
accordance with this rule. Such employee shall not be required to be a health care
professional.
(2) REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Each local board of education and state-chartered special school shall ensure that
there are at least two school employees trained in accordance with the Georgia
Department of Education’s, Guidelines for the Care Needed for Students with Diabetes in
each school that has a student with diabetes. This training shall be conducted by a school
nurse or other health care professional with expertise in diabetes and shall take place
prior to the commencement of each school year, or as needed when a student with
diabetes enrolls at a school, or when a student is newly diagnosed with diabetes. Local
boards of education shall ensure that the school nurse or other health care professional
provides follow-up training and supervision as necessary for compliance with this rule.
(b) Each local school system and state chartered special school shall provide
information in the recognition of diabetes related emergency situations to all employed or
contracted bus drivers responsible for the transportation of a student with diabetes.
(c) Each school shall review and implement the diabetes medical management plan
provided by the parent or guardian of a student with diabetes who seeks diabetes care
while at school.
(d) In accordance with the request of a parent or guardian of a student with diabetes and
the student's diabetes medical management plan, the school nurse or, in the absence of
the school nurse, trained diabetes personnel shall perform functions including, but not
limited to, responding to blood glucose levels that are outside of the student's target
range; administering glucagon; administering insulin, or assisting a student in
administering insulin through the insulin delivery system the student uses; providing oral
diabetes medications; checking and recording blood glucose levels and ketone levels, or
160-4-8-.18 (Continued)
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assisting a student with such checking and recording; and following instructions
regarding meals, snacks, and physical activity. These activities shall not constitute the
practice of nursing and shall be exempted from all applicable statutory and regulatory
provisions that restrict what activities can be delegated to or performed by a person who
is not a licensed health care professional.
(e) The school nurse or at least one trained diabetes personnel shall be on site at each
school and available during regular school hours to provide care to each student with a
diabetes medical management plan being implemented by the school. For purposes of
field trips, the parent or guardian, or designee of such parent or guardian, of a student
with diabetes may, at the discretion of the school, accompany such student on a field trip.
(f) A student's school choice under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2130 or other applicable law shall
in no way be restricted because the student has diabetes.
(g) Upon written request of a student's parent or guardian and if authorized by the
student's diabetes medical management plan, a student with diabetes shall be permitted to
perform blood glucose checks, administer insulin through the insulin delivery system the
student uses, treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and otherwise attend to the
monitoring and treatment of his or her diabetes in the classroom, in any area of the school
or school grounds, and at any school related activity, and he or she shall be permitted to
possess on his or her person at all times all necessary supplies and equipment to perform
such monitoring and treatment functions.
(h) No physician, nurse, school employee, local school system, or state chartered
special school shall be liable for civil damages or subject to disciplinary action under
professional licensing regulations or school disciplinary policies as a result of the
activities authorized or required by O.C.G.A. § 20-2-779 when such acts are committed
as an ordinarily reasonably prudent physician, nurse, school employee, local school
system, or state chartered special school would have acted under the same or similar
circumstances.
Authority: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-240; 20-2-779.
Adopted: August 22, 2012 Effective: September 12, 2012