General Calpol Form?

[becsltd]

I am currently reviewing our policies and procedures. I am looking very closely at the medication related forms. In the past when parents have registered their children they sign a blanket form saying they give us permission to give their children calpol (or the like) as long as we gain verbal permission over the phone. We then would ask the parent on collecting the child to sign another form to say that it has been administered.

I was wondering what other settings do?? It can be a controversial issue and something that I know that Ofsted is very hot on.

[Guest Wolfie]

I think the issue of administering Calpol is quite a difficult one. When I ran a nursery, I decided in the end that we wouldn't administer any kind of paracetamol product for two main reasons; firstly, I questioned whether a child who needed to have their temperature controlled in this way was well enough to be at nursery in the first place and secondly there was the issue of whether or not the child had already been given a dose by their parent/carer and how long ago.

 

Having said all that, I did make one exception - we had a little boy who was prone to febrile convulsions when his temperature rose and this could happen very quickly with no real warning; in that circumstance I drew up an individual permission slip with Mum, stating that she gave us permission to administer Calpol to him at the first sign of a rise in temperature, to try and avert the convulsion.

 

I'll be interested to know how others approach the situation.

Edited June 4, 2007 by Wolfie

[HappyMaz]

I agree with everthing Wolfie said. The only medication we administer is that prescribed for the child by the doctor. If a child is poorly enough to need Calpol during the session then we call the parent to take the child home.

 

The only time I would vary this is if the parent says the doctor has said that a 'top up dose' of calpol would be necessary when a child has almost recovered (and is well enough for nursery and has nothing contagious!) but not quite. In that case, they would sign the medicine record book in the usual way. Mind you, I think I would just ask the parent again if they are sure the child is ready to come back to nursery, just to be on the safe side!

 

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable administering calpol without prior written authorisation from the parents, for all the reasons Wolfie raises. Incidentally at my last health and safety training we were recommended to buy calpol in sachets so that we could always be 100% sure that the correct dosage had been given. The trainer went as far to say that we should keep the empty sachets as proof, but I wonder whether this was going a bit too far...

 

Maz

[Guest]

I have a zero tolerance on Calpol. If a child needs medication because they are not well then they are sent home immediately. I have argue with mothers who have given it to their children in the morning just in case!!!!! of what being ill then keep them at home. why mothers are so quick to send children off when they are obviously not feeling well never fails to amaze me. Is it because a child that is ill needs more attention than the parent is ready or able to give.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but if my children were ill and had to stay home then I spent the time looking after them.

I know there are some time reasons that you have things that you can't put off, but unless I was ill myself and couldn't look after them then everything else got postponed or cancelled. Even if it was something that I wanted to do, because thats why you are a mother.!!!!!

 

Apart from that I don't like the idea of anybody but a doctor or nurse administering medicine to my child. So I'm not comfortable administering medication except where the child needs it to survive.

 

Sorry Its a soap box one, but its a pet hate of mine when the Calpol wears off we then have a raging temperature and a very ill child to deal with who bless them only want their mothers. Which I might add they have every right to want.

[Guest]

We don't administor medication unless what they have wrong with them is about to become life threatening ie and epipen or an inhaler. If calpol is needed then the child is ill and should not be at school. If antibiotics are needed then even then I would get the parent back down to administer it - but we are only open 2 1/2 hours s it should never happen.

 

Deb

[becsltd]

We are a day nursery so we have children from 3 months. What about the teething children? Do you feel that this changes the goal posts? I agree that if an older child is poorly enough to need calpol then they shouldn't be at nursery at all. If I have had the need to telephone a parent to collect their poorly child then on occasions the parent has requested that we give them a dose of calpol to tide them over until they get there which can often take one hour to get through the traffic!!

I am interested in looking at this from all angles!!!

[belle06]

As was discussed earlier we also had a child who had febrile convulsions and needed Calpol we do dispense medicines to the children but parents have to fill in a very thorough medicine form before we will dispense the medication. Parents sign the book when leaving the child and then again when picking the child up. We obvously do not accept or keep poorly children at nursery but as\ was said earlier children can be teething but not poorly and sometimes it can take a little while for a parent to get to their child.

[Guest Wolfie]

I can see your point of view becsltd and think the point about parents requesting a dose is given whilst they are on their way to collect is a valid one- it just needs to be handled so carefully doesn't it?

[Marion]

I teach in a school FSU so realise it is different but we do not administer any medication that is not prescribed by a doctor. The medicine must have a pharmacists label with the child's name and the dosage and the parents must also sign a consent form.

[Guest]

hi,

 

we are a private day nursery, we do give calpol if needed.

 

All parents sign an overall consent on admission to nursery, however, if a child appears to be unwell/need calpol i will ring parents and tell them that thier child is unwell and needs calpol, i tell them i will administer it but that they are to come and collect their child.

 

We also give it for teething and again same process. if a child is in pain with teething i will ring parents to double check a dose hasn't been given before nursery and then will give calpol, on these occassions parents are not asked to collect child as generally they are okay to be here if teething.

 

Dawn

[Guest Wolfie]

I do understand the issue of giving Calpol for teething - it's that bit about whether a parent/carer has already administered Calpol before they drop off their child that bothers me - I think I would want some kind of signed statement detailing dosage and time given so that there was no risk of giving another dose too soon.

Edited June 4, 2007 by Wolfie

[Sue R]

I believe there is now an issue with paracetamol products as there was with aspirin - I am led to believe that now an infant nurofen-type product is the desired option.

 

However, we only administer prescribed drugs having completed a comprehensive form with the parent, including the time and dosage of the last administration. A parental signature is required when completing the form and when the child is collected subsequently.

 

Sue

[Guest Wolfie]

Yes, that kind of detail on a form would give me more peace of mind, Sue!

[Guest]

I Work in private day nursery. We ask parents to sign a permission form to allow us to give Calpol in extreme situations such as very high temperature. As well as the permission form, we phone parents to collect child before administering and double check that they haven't given Calpol recently (and ask permission verbally again before giving. (although our policy and procedure states that children should not be sent to nursery if they have been given Calpol, you never know for sure!) They sign form on collection of child/next time at nursery.

 

If anyone knows any more about the move from paracetamol to nurofen I would be very grateful to hear more.

 

Sam

[Guest cathy m]

Emergency_Medication_and_First_Aid_Consent_Form.docI am a registered childminder and all parents have to sign my accident/medictaion book prior to medication being administer then i initial after i have given the dose and they sign again at the end of the day. I't also in duplicate so they get a copy.

 

I certainly take everyone's point about ill children shouldn't be attending in the first place but sometimes a child can take ill during the session. I have a form for prior written consent something OfSTED (rightly so) is hot on

 

Cathy

[Guest]

Hi this is my first post but this is an issue i have been wondering about for a while. We had a child who's mother was giving her calpol on a daily basis for a number of reasons and requesting we gave her it as well during the day (which we did not do unless the child actuially needed it) I have thought seriously about this and the effect so much medicine would have on a child and have decided to change our medication policy so that we will only administer prescribed medicines to children with written consent from parents and instruction on what and how to administer it!