A. Minor Injury

A minor injury is defined as”…one which requires only first aid to be provided on site”.

(DEEC communication, March 2000).

According to this definition, if on site (e.g., nurses’ station) first aid is necessary for the student, the student has received a “minor injury”. If the student does not require first aid, even if a body check or examination has been conducted, the student has not received a minor injury.

B. Serious/Major Injury

A serious (or major) injury is defined as “…one which requires a visit to a physician, ER or hospitalization”. (DEEC communication, March, 2000.

C. Documenting Restraint Related Body Checks and Injuries

The injury notation on the Physical Intervention form should be completed in a manner consistent with these definitions.

It is sometimes necessary to restrain a student more than once and sometimes with little time in between restraints and before a body check can be conducted. In such cases the body check and finding (e.g. “minor injury”) will be documented only on the most recent or last Physical Intervention Report form for the series, even though there will be a PI form completed for each restraint (incident).

On the most recent or final PI form in a series, the nurse conducting the body check will include the following note: “Body check for multiple physical interventions”.

On all other PI forms in that same series, the nurse conducting the body check will include the following note: “See the most recent PI form” with both date and time of the final PI form noted.

Sequential PI forms should be clearly marked to show the sequence of events.