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Medication administration in early childhood care
Knowing how to safety administer medication as a child care provider is essential for not only your own professional knowledge, but for your children's health. Medications are a complex and serious subject. Though there are many outlying factors and specific situations for medication administration, here are the foundational facts you should know as a child care provider:
- You must have consent: You are legally obligated to obtain written consent from your children's parents or legal guardians before giving their children medicine in your care. This is especially important for any prescription medications, such as antibiotics, pain relievers, and eye drops.
- You must store them properly: All medications must be stored well out of the reach of children and in their original container. Refrigerated medications must be stored in spill-proof containers separate from food and be inaccessible to children in the refrigerator.
- You must administer it correctly: Thoroughly discuss with parents regarding when and how to administer medication. You are not an expert in pharmaceuticals, which is why you should keep detailed notes regarding when and how to deliver it.
At ProSolutions Training we offer a wide selection of online child care courses, such as "Medication Administration in the Child Care Setting: Utilizing Proper Practices and Procedures," for interested early childhood educators. Contact us today to learn more!
