1. Does Maryland allow school staff members who are not health care professionals to administer insulin?
YES. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland of Department of Health created guidelines pursuant to statute requiring training to ensure school personnel are available to administer insulin during the school day and at all school-sponsored activities with parental consent. MD. CODE ANN. §7-426.4.
Unlicensed school staff may be trained to administer insulin or support self-management of other diabetes care tasks (e.g., blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration). These staff are not required to become a CMT if they are not administering medications as a routine part of their job duties. The school nurse determines if it is appropriate to train unlicensed school staff to provide diabetes care. This decision is based on nursing judgment on a case-by-case basis with the student’s health and safety as the primary concern. The acts of delegation to a CMT and/or CNA or training a school staff to administer insulin is not prohibited in the Maryland Nurse Practice Act, 22 but both delegation and training must be done in accordance with the Maryland Nurse Practice Act, 23 all applicable regulations, best practices and principles of delegation, and local school system policy. The registered nurse in a school setting (or any other setting) is not required to delegate or train an unlicensed person to perform a nursing task. 24 However, in the absence of a delegation or training decision and plan, the school system is still accountable to ensure the student’s needs are met to comply with both state and federal laws.
2. Does Maryland allow school staff members who are not health care professionals to administer glucagon?
YES. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland of Department of Health created guidelines pursuant to statute requiring training to ensure school personnel are available to administer glucagon in an emergency in accordance with health care provider orders and parental consent. MD. CODE ANN. §7-426.4.
3. Does Maryland allow students to self-manage their diabetes at school?
YES. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland of Department of Health created guidelines pursuant to statute establishing a procedure for capable students to self-manage their diabetes care in accordance with health care provider orders and school nurse assessment.
Resources:
For more information, see the following helpful resources: