It's one thing for paras to be asked to move disabled students, take them to the bathroom and help with feeding and other basic daily functions as part of their jobs. But when those duties cross the line into medical procedures, such as catheterizing a student, many paras face a dilemma--they want to help children but they're often unprepared to provide medical services.

In a workshop at the AFT's PSRP conference last spring, members of the Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals/AFT school nurse subcommittee conducted a workshop for paras on the do's and don'ts of dealing with medically fragile children. The "do's" include talking with the school nurse and knowing both the state policy and the union contract. Among the "don'ts": providing services without proper training.

Cleveland school nurse Aurelia Barney said that when a contract or state nursing regulation calls for training, that doesn't mean the nurse will just tell the para what to do. Training should include both oral and written instructions, and--most important--practice under the nurse's supervision.

Sylvia Barial of New Orleans, co-chair of the school nurse subcommittee, urged paras not to accept dangerous practices that violate their contracts. "File a grievance," she said. Don't let them set a precedent."

The AFT has copies of the popular manual, The Medically Fragile Child in the School Setting. Copies are free to members. E-mail psrp@aft.org for a copy.