g-tube question for MD/MH teachers or parents?

Question

I am not trained in any nursing procedures yet I am expected to do a daily g-tube feeding on a child in my class. I have found all sorts of laws about MR/DD personnel not being authorized to do g-tube feeding unless they are supervised and a nurse delegates the task to them after they have been certified. As a teacher, am I considered MR/DD personnel even though I'm not employed by the local board of MR/DD but I provide services to student with MR in my class? I don't want to do anything illegal and my school district is not forthcoming with information and training on the subject. I feel like a nurse should be administering the feeding because I have no idea what to do if things go wrong!!! I could use some legal advice from a special ed teacher. Thanks!!!

Answer 1

Are you receiving any training? Typically in my district the teacher and aids are provided training by a nurse on two to three consecutive days and then periodic check ups. The first day the nurse models and the staff watch, day two the staff does it and the nurse provides feedback or prompting as needed and if there is a day three the staff conduct it with the nurse watching. There should also be written instructions and contact information for complications. Truthfully I know it seems like a really scary process that makes you really nervous, but it is actually extremely simple and it is very difficult to cause damage to a child besides maybe some unneeded gas if you use common sense. However if you have been provided absolutely no training at all I would refuse to do it. Demand training from the nurse or at the very least have the child's parent come in an demonstrate. This actually made my staff feel better when the parent came in and was really non-chalant about the whole procedure and everyone become more comfortable quicker.