Signs and symptoms which may indicate that a child or young person is unwell: • Raised temperature • Diarrhoea • Vomiting • Refusing food • Coughing for long periods of time • Discharge from ear • Bumps, bruising, bleeding • Changes in usual behaviour • Refusing to play • Pale looking • Quiet or withdrawn behaviour • Crying, unsettled, clingy Signs that urgent medical treatment is needed: • Chocking • Fitting • Unconscious • Temp of 38. 6°C • Burns • Wound that won’t stop bleeding • Difficulty breathing • A head injury with symptoms of concussion.
Roles and responsibilities in giving first aid. Tell someone immediately if a child needs urgent medical attention. Then do as you have been instructed. That could be either staying with the child to comfort them or going to get the first aid box. Then check that the area is safe and that the child is still breathing and assist in giving first aid if needed. Ensure someone has dialled 999 and contacted child’s parents. Task 4 Prescribed and non-prescribed medicine must be administered by a qualified member of staff.
Any medication given to a child must be witnessed by another member of staff, before it is given to the child. Parents must have already given their child at least one dose of the medicine to ensure that there are no reactions to the medicine. The information leaflet must always come with the medication. Staff must always read this information leaflet to ensure the correct dose is given. The reason why the medication has been given needs to be clear and the instruction needed are what dose, and how often it needs to be administered.
If the medication needs to be given on a when required basis e. g. calpol, It is essential that the child has a care plan. Any signs of when the medication should be administered should be written down on the care plan e. g. high temperature, eyes running. If the symptoms become worse or the medication isn’t working the care plan will identify what needs to be done if this happens. All medication should be marked clearly with the child’s name. All medication must be in its original container. Any staff administering medication must wash their hands before and after the medicine is administered.
A qualified member of staff must be designated to ensure that a daily audit of medicines is carried out. If the medication is accidentally given to the wrong child then the person in charge must be informed immediately and medical advice from the emergency services must be sourced. The child’s parents must be immediately called. All parents must sign to say that the will allow the nursery to give the medication stated to the child; also the parent must sign the medicine in and out of the nursery. The storage of medication such as antibiotics must be stored in a fridge.
This fridge must have a child lock on it so no child can get hold of the medicine. And asthma medication e. g. inhaler or and epipen must be stored in the room the child is in, in a childproof cabinet. This is to ensure if it is needed in an emergency it is easily accessed. These procedures protect the children by helping to ensure their well being and to ensure no-one is given the wrong medication, or is over medicated. It also protects the practitioners as they will know exactly what needs to be done to give medication to a child and helps to prevent any mistakes being made.