A childcare business has an overwhelming amount of responsibilities. One of the most important is preserving the health and well-being of the children in your care. It’s nearly impossible to handle all the health and wellness issues without professional oversight. Ensure confidence by bringing a nursing consultant on board.
Are you interested in hiring a child care nurse consultant? You’re probably wondering what a child care nurse does and how they could benefit your company. Read on to learn more.
The Role of a Child Care Consultant
A child care nurse promotes a healthy, safe environment for the children and staff. They provide referrals, community resource contact information, and consulting services. Maternal child nursing care also involves working closely with healthcare providers, families, and childcare staff. A nurse consultant aims to:
- Provide educations on health and safety
- Develop community partnerships
- Help parents and providers learn about asthma
- Works to increase immunizations
- Provide development screening tools and consultation
- Provide support to those caring for children with special needs
- Promotes healthy eating and increased activity for children
- Helps ensure safe play areas
- Ensures babies sleep safely
- Work with providers to create health and safety regulations/standards
- Visits childcare facilities
- Consult on emergency preparedness
A child care nurse consultant will ensure a child is able to participate fully in the childcare program. They make sure the child’s needs are met, reduce the chance of injury, and decrease the spread of illnesses. Preventative care is facilitated as well, with the aim to educate and keep children and staff healthy.
A Child Care Nurse Consultant’s Network
They can consult on-site or by phone, depending on what’s needed within the program. A maternal child nursing consultant works with a team of professionals who have access to a wide range of information. Nurse consultants must maintain strong professional relationships with:
- Local public health staff
- Child care teachers
- Parents and guardians
- Resource referral agencies
- Clinicians
- State child care health consultants
- NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children)
By connecting the right people, they create a rich health network for children and staff. A child care consultant also teaches in-services and classes to ECEs (early childcare educators). Nursing care classes include CPR, first aid, diabetes, EpiPen, seizures, medications, and general health and safety.
What Skills Do They Bring to the Table?
Being experts in developmental and health milestones, they understand children’s needs in a childcare environment. They consult on children with special needs and provide information and recommendations on accommodating them. Being consultants, they don’t play a regulating role.
Certification and/or degree requirements depend on where you are located geographically. RN nursing care of children is available. ATI nursing care means they’ve passed the ATI. There are several levels of education and specific fees associated with each.
Helping Kids Stay Safe and Healthy
A child care nurse is an invaluable resource and a wealth of knowledge. They can put parents, children, and staff at ease during scary times such as these. By bringing their network together for the sake of a child’s well-being, that child will grow up healthier, both mentally and physically.
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