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Epi-pen Training


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We have a child starting soon who has an epi-pen, due to a nut and fish allergy.

In the past we have struggled to get anyone down to Playgroup to train us, luckily an ex-parent who's a nurse did it for us last time (4yrs ago) however she's no longer in the area.

 

When I updated my first aid training there was a section o Epi-pens and we got to look at them and shown how to use them - does anyone know if this is enough training? We will of course also get mums advice.

Does anyone else struggle to get training on this?

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Theoretically that is enough training - we had a child who was lentil allergic (vegetarian!) and got loads of support - I am latex allergic and I had to train staff myself!!

 

I think you should try to get someone in to give you 'professional' training - some parents might get upset otherwise??

 

Check your Insurance is one thing I would say!

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we had training from a community nurse - it only took about fifteen minutes or so - she spoke about symptoms we might see - order of things we should do - then she showed us an actual pen - we then used one that was empty and pretended to use it on ourselves - listening for the click of the pen and holding it until empty etc - this was what we were told we had to do by insurance company - she then wrote out a certificate to confirm we had undertaken training.

she also included a bit on asthma and inhalers which was very usual x

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we had training from a community nurse - it only took about fifteen minutes or so - she spoke about symptoms we might see - order of things we should do - then she showed us an actual pen - we then used one that was empty and pretended to use it on ourselves - listening for the click of the pen and holding it until empty etc - this was what we were told we had to do by insurance company - she then wrote out a certificate to confirm we had undertaken training.

she also included a bit on asthma and inhalers which was very usual x

Where did you contact the community nurse? Was it at the child's Doctors?

That's where we've been told they're too busy!

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We have had a nurse from the childs GP ome out a couple of times in the past, however I know over the last year or so this has become impossible to get now. You must check your insurance - ours states that not only do we need to be properly trained but require a certificate stating this.

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We had a school nurse come and do ours - she is at the school next door to us and I asked and she said that would be fine, I know she also taught the teachers in the school - it is only a short training - about half an hour, but it needs to be done and you do need to notify your insurance company and send them a letter from the childs GP.

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We have had a nurse from the childs GP ome out a couple of times in the past, however I know over the last year or so this has become impossible to get now. You must check your insurance - ours states that not only do we need to be properly trained but require a certificate stating this.

 

Yes, that's what our insurance says (PLA)

 

Looks like we'll have to pay £40 to do the on-line course mentioned above - it's either that or refuse the child, which we of course we won't do

 

Edit to say that should read 40 pound - it seems the pound sign doesn't work when you're on the iPad

Edited by thumperrabbit
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Worcestershire put on courses from time to time on anaphalaxis and asthma - 2 hours - and you get a certificate valid for 3 years. I've just had to send a letter off to the PLA for one of our children - I am hoping they'll think the training we all did 2 years ago will still be fine. Also need a letter from child's GP confirming treatment - none of the surgeries locally will train staff - not even sure how thorough they are at instructing parents!

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Thanks for the link, I've had a look but it doesn't mention a certificate and we need this, don't suppose you know if it does produce a certificate?

 

All the Learn HQ courses my staff and I have done allow you to print a certificate when you have finished the course but I have not done the epi pen one

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Guest babyjane31

we to had the school nurse come and do ours and she was able to produce a certificate the insurance happy were happy with cost us £140 though!! we also had to have the protocol sheet for the child before training as the training should be specific for the child. I then sent protocol sheet and medication permision forms with certificate to insurance company who replied in writing that we could accept the child

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Hi thumper

I expect you have already done so........just wondered if you had tried asking LA advisor?

Yes, sunnyday I have asked my advisor, all they do in my area is sympathise a little and then quote the Statutory requirements at you - not particularly helpful.

I'm beginning to wish we hadn't agreed to have the child!

I don't mind doing all the checks that we have to do, it's about making sure we care for the children properly - it's when you can't get the people to help you to achieve what you need to do, it's so frustrating :(

Another one of these areas that although we follow the same curriculum we aren't treated the same (I seem to be finding a lot of these at the moment), if we were in a school nursery there would be no problem, because they can access the school nurse, but because we are PVI we can't.

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Yes, sunnyday I have asked my advisor, all they do in my area is sympathise a little and then quote the Statutory requirements at you - not particularly helpful.

I'm beginning to wish we hadn't agreed to have the child!

I don't mind doing all the checks that we have to do, it's about making sure we care for the children properly - it's when you can't get the people to help you to achieve what you need to do, it's so frustrating :(

Another one of these areas that although we follow the same curriculum we aren't treated the same (I seem to be finding a lot of these at the moment), if we were in a school nursery there would be no problem, because they can access the school nurse, but because we are PVI we can't.

 

Sorry thumper - I should have known that you would have already done that.......it's so frustrating isn't.......

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  • 3 weeks later...

We had the same problem at least 5 years ago, and it actually lost the child half a term of preschool with everyone going round saying 'not me mate, try X' We got the training in the end through St Johns, so they'd be my first port of call next time.

 

We had to pay per person and the training was in the summer holidays, so we ended up with only 2 of us trained out of then 5 staff. We wrote it into the health care plan that if both of us were off on the child's session, we would give mum as much notice as possible as she would have the choice of staying with him or not brining him it, and either way would not be charged for the session.

 

Never had to implement that or use the epipen.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Have you tried to see whether you could access training/nurse via your local children's centre ?

 

I've recently attended a paediatric first aid course for which we paid an extra £20 to include a more indepth epi pen training than the main part of the course included.

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