Page 147 - School Garden Development Guide - 4th Edition

Administering Care in the Garden

School nurses have reported the following common health
concerns in students who work in their school gardens and
provided some basic care actions to prevent more serious health
issues. Below are some guidelines to follow until the student is
under the care of the school nurse or a medical professional.

Skin Abrasions / Punctures
• Wash dirt off immediately with water and cover with a clean
cloth
• Bring students to the health room for continued cleaning and
bandaging

Insect Bites
• If possible, determine the type of insect bite and observe for
any allergic responses in student
• Wash immediately with water
• Bring students to the health room for continued cleaning,
observation or emergency response measures. If a student is
known to have a severe allergy to ant bites and/or bee stings,
then the garden staff should be properly trained by the school
nurse to respond immediately at garden site.

Dehydration
• Prevent dehydration by stopping activities and encouraging
students to drink fluids
• Observe for signs of overheating (i.e. nausea, headache,
dizziness and decreased sweating)
• Place student in a cool, shaded area, encourage drinking water
if tolerated
• Contact administration and/or school nurse to respond to
garden site with a transport chair to health room if any of the
above signs are present

Resources
Support Services / Health Services
https://www.palmbeachschools.org/departments/support_
services

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