Medication Administration
Child Care Health Consultant Competency 8: Safe Medication Administration and Medical Procedures
(Source: Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, Child Care Health Consultant Competencies)
When necessary, CCHCs help programs make connections with specialists who can provide training, consultation, and monitoring to meet the needs of children with a range of health conditions. A CCHC helps programs develop policies and implement procedures for medication administration. CCHCs also
- Provide and/or support training in medication administration and medical procedures in the context of
state regulations and applicable professional practice acts - Help programs set up a system to ensure that emergency medications are accessible at all times
- Identify consultants with specialized skills who can support staff caring for children with special health
care needs - Support ongoing monitoring of medication administration and performance of medical procedures,
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Participants will learn medication best practices in early care and education including receiving, documenting, storage, and disposal. They will learn about NC Child Care regulations, types of medication, and the forms that are required to be completed before giving medication. They will also learn how to recognize, respond to, and report a medication error.
Participants will learn the skills needed to safely administer different types of medication to children, including oral, topical, inhalation, and instillation medication. It will NOT cover “emergency/rescue medications” such as types of injectable medication, infusion medication or rectal gels or suppositories. This training should be taken by anyone in the facility who will be administering medication to children.
Nemours is a nonprofit children’s health system that provides information in English and Spanish for parents and educators on health topics. KidsHealth includes information for parents on medications for children and using them safely.