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#181988 - 09/11/09 07:41 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test) [Re: GoatMan]
Jesselp Offline
What's Next?
Enthusiast

Registered: 07/19/07
Posts: 266
Loc: New York
Originally Posted By: GoatMan
Considering you, medically trained & the father, also discounted the babysitter's first two calls, I'd say she did a darn fine job. Yea, she could have dialed 911 before you the third time, but I'd suspect your council got in the way of her judgement. Perhaps a "something to do differently" bullet item would be not to dismiss the babysitter/nurses judgement.

This is not a personal attack by any means. But thinking about this in the third person, it is something we can all learn from.


Goatman,

I don't take it as a personal attack. I critiqued everyone else who played a part, I should be subject to the same. It's how we learn.

That said, I'm not sure how I could have done much different, in terms of the babysitter's judgement. I feel like I trusted her judgement completely about the initial fever (told her to take temp. and give motrin), about him seeming very sick (started to get him appointmtent with pediatrician), and finally about him being in distress (call 911 now!). I'm thinking about the situation if I'd been home:

1) Kid has a fever. Well, this happens all the time. I take his temperature, and if he indeed has a fever I'll give him some children's motrin. So far so good.

2) Kid seems to be getting worse. This, too, has happened before. Normally, our pediatrician does not want to see the kids until they've had a fever for three days, or they seem, "really sick." In this case, he seemed "really sick" so I tried to send him to the doctor.

3) Kid has trouble breathing / turns blue. Thanksfully, this has never happened before, but I assume I'd be on the phone calling 911 PDQ.

I'm not sure I'd have called 911 any sooner if I'd been in her shoes.

What do other parents think? Did I not recognize the situation quickly enough? Should we have gone to 911 as soon as she thought that he "didn't seem right"?

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#181989 - 09/11/09 07:49 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test) [Re: Blast]
Jesselp Offline
What's Next?
Enthusiast

Registered: 07/19/07
Posts: 266
Loc: New York
Originally Posted By: Blast
Wow, scary. I'm glad everything worked out okay!

You mention pre-signed medical consent forms. Is there an actual form for this or do you just write on a peice of paper "Please do whatever is necessary" and sign the bottom? Does it need to be witnessed/notarized? I'd really like to know the proper way to do this.

-Mark


We use a form given to us by the au pair agency we use. I'll see if I can find a copy online. We have also filled out a form at our pediatrician's office giving them permission to treat our kids regardless of who brings them in. They provided the form.

Here's one very similar to the one we use: Consent to treat a minor child

I hope that helps, and that you never need to use it!

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#181992 - 09/11/09 08:15 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test) [Re: Jesselp]
7point82 Offline
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Registered: 11/24/05
Posts: 478
Loc: Orange Beach, AL
Originally Posted By: Jesselp
What do other parents think? Did I not recognize the situation quickly enough? Should we have gone to 911 as soon as she thought that he "didn't seem right"?


It sounds like you responded appropriately to me. I guess a significant factor would be how well you know the sitter. I've learned over the years that no matter how insignificant my children's symptoms appear to be & no matter how incapable my wife is of verbalizing what she thinks is wrong, I should stop and pay close attention when she tells me something isn't right.
_________________________
"There is not a man of us who does not at times need a helping hand to be stretched out to him, and then shame upon him who will not stretch out the helping hand to his brother." -Theodore Roosevelt

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#181994 - 09/11/09 08:32 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test) [Re: 7point82]
GoatRider Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 08/28/04
Posts: 835
Loc: Maple Grove, MN
As mentioned before, babysitter deserves a HUGE tip.
_________________________
- Benton

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#181995 - 09/11/09 09:06 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test) [Re: Jesselp]
jmacclau Offline
Stranger

Registered: 04/15/06
Posts: 14
I have distributed hundreds of free "Vial of Life" vials to our local CERT members. Many members have distributed vials to other people. Each vial resemble a large pill bottle and contain medical info forms for each member of the household. The vial is stored on the top shelve of the refrigerator and a VIAL OF LIFE sticker is placed on the upper outside corner of the refrigerator. The emergency responders are trained to look for these type of stickers. The vial are provided thru a major hospital.

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#181996 - 09/11/09 09:17 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test) [Re: jmacclau]
comms Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/23/08
Posts: 1502
Loc: Mesa, AZ
I implemented a binder program based on a previous thread. Each family member has a colored binder with all their important medical, school and personal information. The file holds business card sleeves for all our specific doctors or attorneys, urgent cares,etc.

This seems a good place to put said consent form and leave the folder on the kitchen table. If the sitter can get to an urgent care, the binder has the biz card from the one the child has already been to. Plus all the childs medical situations. Grab and go.
_________________________
Don't just survive. Thrive.

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#182001 - 09/11/09 09:51 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test [Re: Jesselp]
yeti Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 12/16/06
Posts: 203
Loc: somewhere out there...
WOW! I had to skip to the bottom first just to make sure all was well before going back and reading the whole thing!

I'm glad it worked out. You make some valid points. I'll have to do some re-eval as well.

Thanks for posting. I couldn't be that much easier re-telling than when you went through it.
_________________________
...got YAK???

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#182004 - 09/11/09 10:15 PM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test [Re: dougwalkabout]
yeti Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 12/16/06
Posts: 203
Loc: somewhere out there...
great points! She was very responsive and acted responsibly. She's a gem.


Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
That's a heart-stopping post. Very glad to hear a positive outcome.

I think your babysitter is a gem.

If I may suggest:

1. A big tip (i.e., BIG)

2. A thank you note in the paper for all who stepped in to help

3. A letter of reference for the young lady, describing the event and how her attentiveness and prompt actions made a difference.
This should be the sort of thing she can include (photocopy) with her resume. In a tough job market, this could help make a high quality candidate stand out. She seems like the kind of person I would want as a nurse.
_________________________
...got YAK???

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#182010 - 09/12/09 01:42 AM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test [Re: yeti]
MoBOB Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/17/07
Posts: 1219
Loc: here
Since she is a student , maybe you could buy her book(s) next semester or pay for one of her classes. That would be a huge tip!
_________________________
"Its not a matter of being ready as it is being prepared" -- B. E. J. Taylor

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#182011 - 09/12/09 01:51 AM Re: The Worst Moment of My Life (A Real Preps Test) [Re: 7point82]
Lono Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 1013
Loc: Pacific NW, USA
Originally Posted By: Jesselp
What do other parents think? Did I not recognize the situation quickly enough? Should we have gone to 911 as soon as she thought that he "didn't seem right"?


I think you reacted appropriately for a parent, and I'm super happy the little guy is okay. I was in a similar situation this winter, staffing a shelter for families who lost their homes in an apartment fire. 6 month old baby, mother, no English, mother begins to get frantic, another client (a 10 year old) translates he is acting very sluggish. All the kids in the shelter have the same cold. We run the shelter, we have no medical expertise to apply here, we treat as per the mother's distress - we call 911. I go out to the end of the parking lot to wave down the Medic One with my flashlight (with included red light filter...) I hear sirens, but they stop somewhere a couple blocks away. After a few minutes, two fire fighters come over the hill on foot, on the run, carrying 30 lbs of gear. Their rig was stopped on another call 2 blocks over, they got our call right after, and they split off and hoofed it as fast as they could to get to us. Man, did I feel proud of those guys - literally coming on the run to help a child, who ended up being okay (but they transported him anyway).

Basically kids can change so quickly as you have seen, it doesn't hurt to 'over-react' for fever, or a bump on the head, or a knock to the mid-section (bleeding). Better safe than sorry.

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