Sniffle Solutions

Probably not. It’s not a good idea to rely on your school nurse to diagnose an ear infection. Many school nurses may have a general idea of what to look for, but they’re not trained to examine ears for infections. In fact, the school nurse may not even have an otoscope, the instrument used to look inside the ear. The best person to see about an infection is your child’s pediatrician.

If your child has had a cold for a few days and then starts running a fever over 101 F, sleeping poorly or complaining of ear pain, take her to the pediatrician’s office. If it turns out your child’s ear is indeed infected and she needs medication, only a licensed practitioner can provide a prescription, not a school nurse.