LPN to RN Blog

Going back to school is both relieving and stressful for most parents of school or college aged children. From buying backpacks and new clothes to making transportation arrangements and paying tuition, parents try to make every necessary preparation for their child before that first day back to school. One thing many parents over look is an annual physical or check up for their students. Making appointments with primary care physicians, dentists, vision and hearing experts are essential to keeping your child happy and healthy at the start of a new school year.

All students, regardless of their age, should receive an annual checkup, and right before school is a great time to schedule one. There are many benefits to making a quick stop by the doctor’s office. First, a great deal of students participate in school sports activities and will need to have a doctor authorized release form completed prior to try outs. This form can be completed following a routine physical examination. Also, it is important to review a student’s immunization records. Sometimes school districts can change their immunization requirements for enrolled students. Making certain student have the most current vaccinations and immunizations can be critical in keeping them safe and healthy at school.

The annual checkup is also a great time for parents and physicians to discuss students’ general growth and development, learning disability concerns or past injuries. Ensuring kids are growing at the proper levels and not suffering from past ailments is important to future development. Also, routine checkups like these can help parents and physicians monitor and screen for any behavioral or emotional problems, like ADHD or depression. And for those students that suffer from severe food allergies or other conditions, parents should request emergency medical treatments from the doctor for the schools to keep on hand should a problem arise. Vision and hearing test are an important part of going back to school. Testing a student’s aptitude in these areas can often help experts detect and prevent any problems or ailments early. Also, poor vision and hearing can make students complacent and anxious in the classroom, have low self esteem and lessen their ability to learn.

So while parents and students are buying new school clothes, backpacks and supplies, they should also be visiting their primary care physician, and vision and hearing experts for routing, annual checkups. These visits can help students remain healthy all school year long.