Emergency Situations

           In today’s society, just about every career in the early childhood education setting requires that one be certified in CPR and First Aid.  To be certified in CPR and First Aid one must go through training and must be able to demonstrate the proper techniques.  According to the naccrra.org website Oklahoma child care centers must have at least one CPR and First Aid certified teacher.    It is never a bad thing for a child care center to have more than one certified teacher because you never know when an emergency will arise.  There is always new information and new training to be found for staying current in the latest ways of CPR and First Aid.

            In the first scenario that must be presented there is a 4 year old boy who is eating lunch at his day care when he suddenly starts coughing and choking on a piece of food.  The first thing that the teacher would need to do is to see if the child can talk or not.  If the child cannot, then the teacher must ask if the child is choking. Just like an adult you must get their permission first to assist in the matter.  Once the teacher has the go ahead to help the teacher must then act quickly.  The first step would be to place your arms around the child and place your fist above his belly button. Then begin upward thrust until the piece of food is dislodged.  If the food does not come clear of the airway and the child becomes unconscious immediately lay the child on their back.  At this point it would be wise to either send someone to quickly call 911 or make the call yourself.  Once 911 has been contacted began performing CPR on the child until the airway has been cleared or EMS arrives. 

            The second scenario is where there is a 4 year old boy found on the ground unconscious in the bathroom at the day care.  After finding the child unconscious you need to gently shake their shoulder and ask them if they are okay.  If they do not respond gently roll them on to their back and send someone to call 911.  Immediately check for a pulse and then check and see if you can tell if the child is breathing.  If you have one or the other or neither a pulse or breathe immediately begin CPR.  The teacher should also call for an AED, otherwise known as an Automated External Defibrillator.  The teacher should continue to perform CPR on the child till the child either has both a pulse and can breathe or EMS arrives to take over.   If there is an AED available then after the first two minutes of CPR it is highly suggested that an AED shock should be used.  Many of the AED’s that are now made will tell you exactly what you need to do after the first initial shock.  Promptly follow the directions until help arrives.

            Advance planning is the best way to help minimize events of emergency and natural disasters.  While there is no way to keep everyone completely out of harm’s way, with proper planning and training you and your fellow teachers and the children safe.  There is training for just about every kind of emergency one can face in an early child hood setting.  CPR and First Aid training are one of the most if not the most important training that everyone needs to know.  Certification for CPR and First Aid requires that the person holding the certification to renew it every three years.  Involving the children you work with will also help prevent any emergencies that could otherwise be avoided.  If the children are involved in lessons that will teach them about certain emergencies, it will help ensure that they are more than likely to cooperate when an emergency arises.

            There are many supplies and kits that teachers should keep handy in case of an emergency.  A first aid kit should be readily accessible at multiple points in the child care center and in any vehicle that will tote children to and from place to place.  For emergencies like a fire or tornado there should be evacuation plans hanging in each room showing the nearest exit.  Each child should have at least two emergency contacts in their file in case the child care center should have the need to contact them.  There are many supplies and steps that can be taken to ensure that they are prepared for any kind of emergency, but there is only so much that they can do.  If a teacher knows the area where they work and knows what kind of weather emergencies are possible then that will help execute an effective evacuation plan.  Staying calm and rational will help any teacher or parent effective handle any emergency that they come into contact with.  (Robertson 2010, pg. 178) They must remember that the lives of a child or children will depend on how effectively they handle any situation.

References

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education. (4th ed ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth.