First aid supplies & meds checklist

nightingale, RN · Apr 28, 2006

We used lots of ice (a cube or two at a time) wrapped in papertowel for bee stings.

Add Calamine lotion.

Make sure the kiddos have their meds coming in with the prescription bottle.

BonnieSc · Apr 28, 2006

tweezers

safety pins

alcohol preps

Be sure you have MANY sizes of bandaids

tampons and pads

lice shampoo

extra insect repellent and sunscreen

rubbing alcohol (to dry up water in the ear)

ibuprofen

cough drops

decongestant (usually use this only for staff)

cotton balls (multiple uses)

triangular bandages

liquid versions of medications

peppermints to settle stomachs

epi-pens (regular and Jr doses)

baby wipes--used a lot in the first aid kits to clean scrapes before bandaging "in the field"--and occasionally in the health center for a hard-to-wash place

eye wash (love that insect repellent... and the dust)

I'll probably think of more later.

Ice is SO important! I freeze it in plastic med cups... very convenient for beestings and swollen mosquito bites, and to numb slivers a little.

mrscmt · Apr 28, 2006

This is a great list! One of the school nurses I worked with uses lemon drops for sore throats.

rnsrgr8t · May 2, 2006

What a great question. Being a pediatric nurse, I do have once concern about using adult Pepto Bismol in children. It has aspirin in it which is contraindicated in children. However, they recently came out with a "kids" pepto that does not have the aspirin in there. I just wanted to clarify b/c a lot of parents do not know not to use adult pepto in children.

sharon13 · May 2, 2006

I have been a daycamp nurse for the past 2 summers and look forward to this coming season. I am the only nurse for over 200 campers. One of the items I have found very useful is white vinegar. It takes the sting out of beestings and is easy to apply to multiple stings,instead of those little sting pads or applicators. Good luck. Sharon

nurse_wannabe · May 3, 2006

That's an excellent point, rnsrgr8t, and one I didn't even think about.

I have never heard of the white vinegar thing! A nice tip for sure.

Thanks to all who've replied, and if anyone knows of anything else, please share!

lokicat · May 6, 2006

One little tool that may reduce the emotional trauma of removing a spinter is an emeryboard (for fingernails). If you can use the board to pull the splinter out (applying slight pressure and pulling it in the direction directly opposite of the splilnter) you could remove it without having to remove it with a small gauge needle.

It is worth a try, I have used this technique and have achived good succsess.

Lokicat

askdrn · May 16, 2006

Hi!

I have been a School Nurse and Camp Nurse for a few years. I would add to this great list some non-medical supplies. Safety pins, sewing supplies, eye glass repair kit, Contact solution. Also I have found that putting hydrogen peroxide in a small spray bottle is great for cleaning knee scrapes, etc, without having to "touch it". Other indispensible items include running shoes, a big heart, patience, and a sense of humor!

Happy Summer....

BonnieSc · May 16, 2006

Good thinking on the repair kit! I've used ours many times. I sometimes use plain water in a spray bottle to clean wounds--no "ouch".

nurse_wannabe · May 22, 2006

Thanks to jogmom for this fantastic "natural" lice treatment. We can add the following to our list:

Vaseline (saturate hair & scalp)

shower caps (keep on vaselined hair for 4 hours)

Prell shampoo (shampoo)

vinegar (rinse after shampoo)

nit comb

nightingale, RN · May 22, 2006

Thanks to jogmom for this fantastic "natural" lice treatment. We can add the following to our list:
Vaseline (saturate hair & scalp)
shower caps (keep on vaselined hair for 4 hours)
Prell shampoo (shampoo)
vinegar (rinse after shampoo)
nit comb

Let's add this info to the Sticky just created at the beggining of the Forum for Camp Nurses. I will take care of it.