Does the School Nurse Have a Role to Play in School Discipline?

Student discipline has become a subject of increasing concern at local, state, and national levels. This article is a discussion of current federal, state, and local school district legal requirements for student discipline in public schools with examples that illustrate several issues that could or should involve a school nurse. A brief history of the legal developments in school discipline includes key U.S. Supreme Court decisions and Acts of Congress. School district options in policy development and disciplinary procedures are discussed. Some of the discipline incidents include issues of nurse–patient confidentiality.