MA families--self-management in schools legislation

[mamalynn]

Thought you might be interested in the text to the legislation before the MA House. (Click on, or copy and paste the link into your browser to download a pdf file).

www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/185/ht01pdf/ht01139.pdf

Just an FYI, the MA School Nurse Organization is opposed to this bill.

[CAGrandma]

So nice and simple - and RIGHT!

[allisa]

thanks for posting this.....do you know what part the nurse's are against ?

[TracieandJim]

Thought you might be interested in the text to the legislation before the MA House. (Click on, or copy and paste the link into your browser to download a pdf file).

www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/185/ht01pdf/ht01139.pdf

Just an FYI, the MA School Nurse Organization is opposed to this bill.

Opposed ? Why ?

[mamalynn]

It's the usual "only trained medical personnel" can manage diabetes argument. I guess DH and I are still waiting to get our M.D. diplomas sent to us, since we are forced to manage this on a daily basis. :D IMO, they feel threatened by it. Check out the Mass School Nurses site (legislative news) for more info: http://msno.org/

I can't tell from the Mass. gov. site if this bill is just sitting in committee though or what is going on with it. :confused:

[saxmaniac]

This looks familiar. I'd have to look it up, but I think the first part is already law (the carrying supplies part) but the new part is the glucagon.

[nebby3]

I noticed the date on it is Jan. 2007. So what's going on with it now?

[mamalynn]

Bumping this for a quick update. I saw Sen. Timilty at a town event last week and had a chance to ask him about the status of the bill; he is one of the co-sponsors. He said that they are working on it but it is stalled again for the 3rd year, mainly from opposition from the school nurses; he will re-introduce it again next year if necessary. (And yes, the new part/change is related to the glucagon.)

[deafmack]

I am all for this bill being passed. I looked at the reasons the nursing association is against it and their reasons don't hold water.

[Kaylee's Mommy]

The school nurses are against it because its job security.. We, as in parents, of every diabetic child do this without a nursing degree or an MD.. anyone can be trained it to it.. if they use that arguement that only a medically trained person can do it .. does that mean our kids should be in an 'institution' where Dr's can administer insulin, do blood tests, and be on the ready to give glucagon.. or that we should all have MD behind our names because we deal with D every day.. what the nurses are trying to do is ridiculous.. there will always be a need for a nurse in the schools.. they don't need to 'use' our children to keep job security..

I hope this passes, fully, including the glucagon part..

[saxmaniac]

It is ridiculous, isn't it? If the union had their way, it would be illegal to rescue a drowning kid from a pool, because they're not "medical personnel".

Give me a break.

Sadly, this is not likely to pass here in union-happy MA.

[MoiraMcC]

Hi folks

I could swear there is already a bill in place. It was called Ashley's law. I testified for it and so did my daughter. I'm going to try to dig out the old Boston Globe story when it passed.

[MoiraMcC]

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2004/12/29/bill_okd_to_let_students_test_their_own_diabetes/

maybe this is different?

[saxmaniac]

The way I read it, the law for self-testing is already in place. The proposed legislation amends it to allow for delegation of glucagon to nonmedical personnel.