Concerned with the care of school-children, the nurse does the following EXCEPT:

• A. Provides for a safe environment
• B. Detects, diagnoses, and treats children with health problems
• C. Identifies and refers children with eye problems
• D. Conducts health education classes

Answer: (B)

Understanding the scope of a school nurse’s role helps explain why this item is the exception. In a school setting, the nurse works to keep children safe, promote health through education, and identify health concerns to refer them for proper care. The nurse can screen for issues like vision problems and refer a child to an optometrist, maintain a safe environment, and conduct health education for students and staff. Diagnosing and treating health problems, however, is performed by a physician or authorized clinician—not by the school nurse. The nurse may recognize signs of illness and provide first aid or administer medications per policy, but they do not diagnose or independently treat health conditions. So the statement about detecting, diagnosing, and treating health problems goes beyond the school nurse’s typical responsibilities.