Per 30 Mississippi Administrative Code the registered nurse may assign duties of administration of patient medications to other licensed nurses only (either a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse). It is the position of the Board of Nursing that a registered nurse should administer medications to students. Should the school elect to allow someone other than the registered nurse to observe students with stable conditions self administering oral, topical, ear, eye, nasal and inhalation medications or epinephrine pens as authorized by a parent/legal guardian, the designated school personnel may only do the following:

1. Remind the student when to take the medication and observe to ensure that the student follows the direction on the container;
2. Assist a student in the self administration of medication by taking the medication in its container from an area where it is stored and handing the container, with the medication in it, to the student. If the student is physically unable to open the container, the designated school personnel may open the container for the student and assist the student in taking or applying the medication. In schools that opt to have designated school personnel observe students self administering medication during the nurse’s absence, prior to the initiation of the provision of any medication at the school, the registered nurse should:
        A. Obtain a complete initial nursing history and assessment of the student.
        B. Review the parental consent for completeness.
        C. Verify that there is a medical order for the medication to include the student’s name, specific medication, specific dosage, specific route, and length of time to be administered- beginning date and ending date, and reason for taking medication.

In these schools, the registered nurse should also:

1. Perform an ongoing assessment of the child’s status and communicate the nursing assessment to appropriate individuals. The nursing assessment must include monitoring of medication administration record.
2. Provide an eight (8) hour educational in-service to the designated school personnel to include but not be limited to the information set forth in the Assisted Self Administration Curriculum approved by the Board of Nursing.
3. Provide a Medication Administration Record for documentation of all doses of medication provided in the school setting. The Medication Administration Record must include the date, identity of school personnel providing the medication and documentation of missed doses (i.e. holiday, out of medication, school absence, illness).
4. Assure that the parent/legal guardian is notified that in the registered nurse’s absence from the school, the parent/legal guardian has the option of coming to the school and providing the medication or authorizing designated school personnel to assist students with self administration of the medication.