Help - Career Day at Preschool

kaycee · Dec 7, 2001

I did this a long time ago. My kids are teenagers now. I work ER so I brought in some Xrays(old ones they didn't need anymore)to show them what bones look like. Did some basic first aid stuff with slings, ace wraps, splints ect. Showed them how to wrap an ace(let them do it on each other). Very basic first aid stuff. I don't know what kind of nursing you do but that's the stuff they understand at that age. If you don't work ER maybe your ER would let you borrow some stuff. Make sure they all know about 911 and how it is important to know your address. Ask them what they think nurses do before you start to get an idea where there heads are.

Hope this helps!

kaycee · Dec 7, 2001

RNKitty,

I just looked at your profile and since you're an OB nurse you could talk about delivering babies in the simplest way possible. I just thought at this age first aid is easy for them to understand. You may get some interesting questions from them in your line of work. Let me know how it goes!

LilgirlRN, ADN, RN · Dec 7, 2001

I bet some of them are about to become big brother or bog sister, perhaps you could give them tips on what having a new baby in the house is like :)

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2001

My tip: Bribe them!!! See if you can find some nurse or health-related stickers and give one to each of them, or print some on the computer using a free nursing clip-art thingy, or take some suckers and make little nursing caps out of construction paper to stick on top of them, then glue little googly eyes on them and hand them out to the kids. You'll go over really well, I assure you!! I've always found that a well-thought-out bribe was just the ticket with three year olds! :>)

betts · Dec 7, 2001

Nursing and Nurses

Most nurses work in hospitals taking care of sick people and helping them get well. But nurses also work in other places. Visiting nurses go to the homes of the sick. Some nurses' assist in the offices of doctors and dentists. Others work in medical clinics, in schools, in stores and factories, in the armed forces, and on ships, trains, and airplanes. Nurses may be found wherever needed--in big cities, small towns, and farm areas in all parts of the world.

Besides caring for the sick, nurses help healthy people stay well. They teach children and adults to protect themselves from disease's, like the flu. Nurses may also teach in schools.

Most nurses are women. Ever scrap your knee or fall down and mommy makes it better? Nurses also care for newborn babies.

They see that patients have a daily bath and that they eat proper foods. They make sure that patients do exercises or have treatments that will help them get better. Nurses give medicines to patients and teach patients to care for themselves. Nurses, like mommies, watch and make sure that the people they are taking care of do get better.

The well being of patients is of first importance to nurses. For example, they take time to play with a child, read to a person who cannot see, or write letters for a patient who has a broken arm.

Short History of Nursing and Nurses

Nursing care has been practiced for thousands of years. For example, the early Israelites and Egyptians hired women, later called midwives, who assisted at births.

Nursing, as we know it began in the 1850's with the work of the English nurse Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern professional nursing. Nightingale established the first school of nursing, the Nightingale Training School for Nurses, in London in 1860. Graduates of this school traveled to all parts of the world to teach nursing.

prmenrs, RN · Dec 7, 2001

How about bringing some scrubs, "bouffant" caps, the regular hats for the boys, shoe covers, masks (the kind w/elastic is easiest), some stethescopes, esp if you can get the plastic disposable ones, things like that. They love to play dress-up and imitative play.

betts · Dec 7, 2001

http://www.jakesworld.com/freegifts_wellnesscolor_lg.htm

RNKitty · Dec 8, 2001

Thank you all for the great suggestions!

RNKitty · Jan 27, 2002

Okay, it's done. I thought it went quite well, but as I was driving my son home from preschool I asked him how I did. He looked at me seriously and said "Not good mom.":rolleyes:

I brought a book showing nurses in different jobs and we talked about what nurses do. Then I let them play with 3 stethescopes and a blood pressure cuff. They seemed to like that. I handed out colorful bandaids at the end. Whew! The energy those kids have! I don't know how thoses teachers do it every day.:)