[KatWrangler]

<p>We are going round and round trying to get Gabrielle set up with Head Start.  With the new school she will have to be cath'd while there.  I will not be able to go and do this.  Someone at the school will have to do it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So my question is, does it need to be a sterile cath or will they cath like we do at home?  What equipment do you have at school for your child?  I was under the impression it had to be a sterile cath like at the hospital, but now I am not so sure.</p>

 

[anj_rn]

<p>In our school district it had to be a sterile cath and had to be done by a nurse (either the nurse assigned to the child or the school nurse).  Supplies were generally provided by the parents (via DMEs).  The child I cathed had straight cath kits (like they use to obtain a specimen, and I used a ziplock gallon bag (with a quick zip) to catch the urine.  There was another child who had a kit with a urine collection bag.</p>

 

[Kristine233]

<p>Yeah, my guess is that it would have to be a sterile cath because of risk of infection. Does the Head Start program have a nurse on site?  I don't know that a regular teacher or aide would be allowed to do it?  If they wont do it can you do an indwelling cath with a small leg bag for while at Head Start? I know its not ideal, but not sure if they will do a straight cath there without a nurse.  Do you have a PCA ?</p>

 

[KatWrangler]

<p>Head Start has never had this come up.  Gabrielle will be their first.  No policy in place either.  Sigh... They do not have a nurse, someone will have to be trained to cath her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I called the school nurse at my son's school (Gabrielle will be going there 2011) to see what they require.  Um, they don't have any policy in place either! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kits have been put on order.  Crossing my fingers everything gets approved.</p>

 

[bamamom]

<p>I was talking about this in our district. My son's SN preschool teacher said that they had a child once who had to be cath'd and she was really really unsure and didn't want to do it. She was not a nurse, she was a teacher.  She said she was really really worried about the liability wrt sexual abuse issues there as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now our district has a nurse in every school, so it's moot.  But the above reasons may be why Head Start is a little taken aback.</p>

 

[KatWrangler]

<p>Well we got the kits last week.  Woo Hoo!  It was a struggle but they are here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My husband went round and round with Head Start.  Finally, she will start on Monday afternoon.  Woo Hoo!  Monday we have a meeting about the cathing and how to do it. </p>