1. (1) Sick Call shall be conducted only by a licensed nurse or higher licensure level.
2. (2) Sick Call shall be regularly scheduled in each facility and conducted by a licensed health care provider within 24 hours of placing the sick call request.
3. (3) All youth with a complaint, illness, or injury shall have the opportunity to access care through the Sick Call process.

4. (4) Review and triage of Sick Call requests shall be conducted as follows:

   1. (a) A licensed nurse, or higher licensure level, shall review, triage promptly, and screen for urgency all Sick Call requests such that emergency conditions are not delayed for the next regularly scheduled sick call session.
   2. (b) When a licensed health care professional is not on site, the shift supervisor shall review all Sick Call requests as soon as possible, within four (4) hours after the request is submitted. Issues requiring attention prior to the next scheduled Sick Call shall be addressed as per rule 63M-2.009, F.A.C.
5. (5) A Registered Nurse, or higher licensure level health care staff, after review of the Sick Call requests, shall make an assessment while conducting Sick Call, and determine whether a nursing or medical intervention is appropriate.
6. (6) If a facility utilizes a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) without the presence of a Registered Nurse, the LPN shall conduct the Sick Call. The LPN shall review all sick call requests daily, which is defined as seven days a week, including Holidays, (either telephonically or in person) with someone at the level of a Registered Nurse or a higher licensure level.

7. (7) After appropriate evaluation of the Sick Call requests have been completed:

   1. (a) For residential commitment programs, a list of youth who have requested to be seen at the next Sick Call shall be generated and provided to the nurse.
   2. (b) For detention facilities, the staff shall utilize the department’s electronic system to enter the Sick Call requests generated by the youth. This entry must then generate a notice to the nurse for his/her timely review. Every facility shall have a backup method for notification to the nurse in situations where the computerized system is unavailable.
8. (8) Youth identified as having the same complaint and seen by the nurse three times within a two-week period shall be referred to the Physician, APRN or PA. Episodic encounters must be taken into account when determining the frequency of care provided for the same complaint.
9. (9) A youth who has received medical evaluation and treatment by the APRN or P.A. more than once for the same complaint that has demonstrated no improvement after two medical evaluations shall be referred immediately to a physician (onsite, off-site or Emergency Room).
10. (10) The RN, APRN, or P.A. shall immediately notify the DHA (physician) when he or she cannot determine the nature and/or severity of a youth’s medical or clinical condition. The Designated Health Authority has the final authority for determining the next medical course of action.
11. (11) When a non-licensed staff person has a concern regarding a youth’s need to be seen, whether or not the youth has made a Sick Call Request, the staff shall notify the nurse and the youth shall be seen and triaged for sick call or episodic care as early as possible. When no nursing staff are on site the DHA/designee shall be contacted regarding the youth(s) immediate need for care.

12. (12) The Sick Call documentation shall be as follows:

    1. (a) Youth in Residential Commitment Programs shall complete the Sick Call Request Form (HS 032). The Sick Call Request Form (HS 032, April 2024) is incorporated into this rule and is available electronically at HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17506"http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17506. When an electronic format of this form is used, all components of the sick call shall be incorporated and completed at the time of the completion of the sick call.
    2. (b) For youth who need assistance initiating the Sick Call Request form, a staff person shall be available. The staff person shall maintain the youth’s confidentiality.
    3. (c) The completed Sick Call Request forms shall be placed in a secure location inaccessible to youth to be provided to the nurse or provided electronically to medical staff.
    4. (d) The completed Sick Call Request form is to be filed with the progress notes in the Individual Health Care Record in reverse chronological order.
    5. (e) Detention facilities shall utilize the department’s established electronic system to coordinate and document Sick Call. A copy of the completed electronic Sick Call Request form shall be placed in the youth’s Individual Health Care Record and maintained in the EMR/EHR.
    6. (f) When the youth is evaluated and treated by the facility’s Physician, PA or APRN, the Chronological Progress note section shall be utilized to provide documentation for the Individual Health Care Record and EMR/EHR. The documentation shall include subjective findings, objective findings, the medical assessment of the youth, and the plan of care for treatment of the youth.
    7. (g) Sick Call complaints shall be listed on The Sick Call Index form (HS 030) and maintained in the section reserved for the Core Health Profile in the Individual Health Care Record/EHR. The Sick Call Index (HS 030, April 2024) is incorporated into this rule and is available electronically at HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17507"http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17507.
13. (13) An aggregate Sick Call/Referral Log (HS 031) or electronically generated form must be utilized at each residential program. The Sick Call/Referral Log (HS 031, January 2024) is incorporated into this rule and is available electronically at HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17508"http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17508. The facility may utilize a form of their choice if the form includes all information required on the Sick Call/Referral Log.
14. (14) Detention facilities shall utilize the sick call log generated by the department’s electronic system.

Rulemaking Authority 985.64(2) FS. Law Implemented 985.64(2), 985.145, 985.18 FS. History–New 6-20-14, Amended 2-5-25.