School nurses urge clearer concussion protocols, offer to handle baseline testing but warn against taking on trainer duties

Tracy Bailey, the district school nurse, told the Allegheny‑Clarion Valley School Board that nurses and the new health technician have found gaps in the district’s athletic health paperwork and certification compliance and are wary of taking on the responsibilities of athletic trainers. "We don't feel comfortable doing athletic training responsibilities such as grappling with sports injuries, taping, turning [students] into the 5‑stage return‑to‑play protocol," Bailey said.

Bailey said coaches’ required annual concussion and cardiac‑awareness certifications are not uniformly documented in the PIAA system and that the district could not locate an AC Valley head‑injury care form. She highlighted several policy items from a packet given to the board, noting that PIAA and state Department of Education guidance require yearly coach training and that some coaches' records on the website appear out of date.

The nursing staff proposed a written athletic responsibility plan in which nurses would (a) collect and manage all physicals and paperwork, (b) administer baseline impact testing for seventh, ninth and 11th graders before each season, and (c) provide basic vital signs or paperwork support at physical screening events. "We would be willing to go ahead and do all baseline impact testing," Bailey said, adding that baseline testing takes about 30 minutes per student and creates a record clinicians can access.

Bailey and the health technician emphasized limits to their scope: they said they would not diagnose concussions, perform clinical re‑impact interpretations after injury, or supervise the five‑stage medically supervised return‑to‑play protocol. They said a physician or licensed clinician trained in concussion management must direct post‑injury testing and clearance. "We would be only responsible for administering the initial baseline test," she said.

Board members discussed enforcement and administration. Several trustees said coaches who are not current with required online certifications should not be allowed to coach until they upload proof; administrators suggested pre‑hire packet distribution and point‑person tracking. The board asked district staff to research options for (a) creating a central folder for coach certificates, (b) hosting certification sessions locally in coordination with neighboring districts, and (c) whether existing budget lines for athletic trainers could be repurposed or used for a supplemental position.

The board did not adopt policy changes at the meeting but agreed to revisit the matter next month and asked staff to prepare a motion outlining options, including whether a compensated supplemental position for athletics paperwork or a part‑time health‑tech role would be appropriate. The board also discussed scheduling baseline testing and whether nurses could reasonably cover paperwork and limited screening during high‑volume periods such as preseason physical days.

The board’s next steps: staff will report back with options and possible language for a motion at the next board meeting. The nursing presentation prompted trustees to stress that return‑to‑play medical decisions remain the province of licensed clinicians.