Our congratulations to Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN for the overwhelming praise she received from the New Jersey Law Revision Commission (NJLRC) for her recommendation to consider changing the statutes to allow for more than epinephrine auto-injectors as an option for schools to stock. Sheila Caldwell made it clear that she isn't endorsing any product. The NJLRC further stated that based on the recommendations presented by Sheila Caldwell, they will start to look more closely at other medications that possibly now have additional routes of administration. 

Excerpt from Sheila Caldwell's NASN All Member Forum post on Epinephrine, State Statutes, and Schools of 11/30/24:

"Well, here is the current status of the NJLRC “Epinephrine Project”, the November 21, 2024 Report is available for the public to read and comment on through January 20, 2025. You can read the report at https://www.njlrc.org/projects/2024/10/7/title-18a-updating-terms-related-to-epinephrine-administration-and-nurses?rq=title%2018a. (Scroll down to see the reports). Based on public comments, NJLRC will move the recommendation on to the NJ legislature.

This is really exciting! 

Just so you are aware, I submitted to the Commission to insert “single dose” or “unit dose” epinephrine. I felt this important to avoid school districts from considering multi-dose vials of injectable epinephrine. If the statute did not specify, this could potentially happen. As nurses, it would be one thing for us to draw up doses as many of us have done in the hospital, but we want to have the safest administration as possible for our students to receive and any potential delegates/designees to give it. "Single dose" or "unit dose" make the most sense to include in the statute."

Please consider reading the post in its entirety on the NASN All Member Forum by clicking here to fully appreciate Sheila Caldwell's advocacy process, which took place over a period of months. We appreciate all of Sheila Caldwell's hard work and leadership from which everyone will benefit. Kudos!