Journal 13

Journal 11

I best see and remember information when I engage in conversation about it.  I also remember things better if I see them displayed on a board.  I can reach parents who are visual by creating flyers and posters to convey information that parents need to know.  I can use publisher to create news letters and various other things to send home with parents and also discuss what it is that I'm sending home with parents so it's not "just another piece of paper".  It is important to discuss with parents what we need them to know.  When I have parents who are kiniesthic I would like to show them what we are doing in the classroom and get them involved.  Showing them and getting them involved in what we are doing will help these parents to be able to engage with their children at home with what we are doing at the center.

Journal 12

Family Teacher Conference for infant.

1. The child has made the most progress in the following areas:  
1. Feeding
2. Sleeping in Crib without crying.
3. Sleeping on back in crib without crying. 
2. The activity the child enjoys the most is:
1. Swing time.
3. The child is most excited and attentive when:
1. Being talked to or sung to.
4. The best form of redirection for the child is:
1. Talking and distraction by singing or swaying.
5. One objective the family could work on at home with the child is:
1. Reading to her and allowing her to look at pictures.
2. Engage with her on the floor with various toy shapes. 
3. Ensuring the child is sleeping in crib on back.

Journal 10- Health Alert

HEALTH ALERT

• ·      It has recently been reported to the center that your child may have been exposed to Gastrointeritis aka Stomach Bug or Norovirus.

What is it:

• ·      Gastroenteritis involves the small and large intestine which results in some combination of diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain and cramping. 

How it is spread:

• ·      The viruses are found in the vomit and stool of infected people. You can get it by:

o   Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus (someone gets stool or vomit on their hands, then touches food or drink).

o   Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth.

o   Having direct contact with a person who is infected with norovirus (for example, when caring for someone with norovirus or sharing foods or eating utensils with them).

o   People with norovirus illness are contagious from the moment they begin feeling sick until at least 3 days after they recover. But, some people may be contagious for even longer.

What to look for:

• ·      Watery, usually nonbloody diarrhea — bloody diarrhea usually means you have a different, more severe infection
• Abdominal cramps and pain
• Nausea, vomiting or both
• Occasional muscle aches or headache
• Low Grade Fever

Prevention:

• ·      Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.  Especially after using the restroom, changing diapers, before meals and before preparing meals.  If soap is not available use hand sanitizer.
• ·      Clean and disinfect contaminated surface using a bleach-based household cleaner (5 tablespoons to 1.5 cups of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.)
• ·      Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with vomit or stool. Handle soiled items carefully—without agitating them—to avoid spreading virus. If available, wear rubber or disposable gloves while handling soiled clothing or linens and wash your hands after handling. The items should be washed with detergent at the maximum available cycle length and then machine dried.

If you suspect your child has been infected:

• ·      Follow all prevention steps.  
• ·      Keep child away from other children.
• ·      Contact center to report illness.
• ·      Your child cannot come back to the center for at least 24 hours after last vomit or watery stool.

What we are doing to prevent the spread:

• ·      All surfaces have been cleaned with bleach solutions.
• ·      All fabric toys and items have been washed.
• ·      All nap cots have been disinfected. 
• ·      Bathrooms have been thoroughly disinfected after each child.
• ·      Changing table thoroughly disinfected after each child.
• ·      Hands are being washed more frequently as well as use of hand sanitizer if age appropriate, especially after using restroom and before meals.

Journal 9- Inclusion Policy

inclusion of children with special needs

As a NICU RN and having a passion for children with special medical needs, we accept children with various medical complications.  We have a RN on site at all times with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit experience, as well as CPR for all of our staff.  The following list is just a few of the medical conditions we accept.  If you do not see your child’s diagnosis please contact the office to speak with me.

—Trachs

—Ventilators

—Monitors

—Feeding tubes

—Casts

—Straight Caths

—Breathing treatments

—Diabetes 

-Visual/Hearing Impairments

—Failure to thrive

—Prematurity

—Trisomy 21                                                                                                                             
 (Down Syndrome)

We ask that all parents of children with medical needs fill out the following form in case of an emergency.  We obtained this form from the American Academy of Pediatrics to make emergency situations flow more smoothly when parents and Primary Physician are not available.  “When these patients present to emergency departments or health care professionals with an acute illness or injury, physicians, parents, EMS professionals, and nurses will be able to use the EIF as a tool to transfer critical information.” American Academy of Pediatrics

We also have a partnership with SoonerStart to come out and work with your children weekly to help them reach various milestones.  We also ask that parents of children with special medical needs spend a week at our facility with our staff to allow us the opportunity for you to teach us about your child and their medical needs.

Journal 7

What Not To Wear Rules:

Clothes should show your confidence and your career.

Play up your hour glass shape.

Your clothes are age appropriate.  Don't wear kid shoes.

Detail at the narrow part of the waist.

Use pieces with visual interest with more simple pieces.

Make clothes change to fit your needs.

Trousers are very important for a woman's wordrobe.

Find clothes that are flattering to boost your confidence.


Dressing for success in my current position is scrubs.  I think making sure they fit well is key.
For my future position as a director of a medical child care center it would be dressing for my career which would be kind of a business-business casual.  I am a short person so I always have to change clothes to fit my needs.  I have lots of trousers in my closet now that I love.  When I am in those clothes I feel confident like I can accomplish anything.  So I agree that playing your clothes up to boost your confidence is a big key.

I often see child care workers that look like they just woke up out of bed and came to work.  It is not professional in the least little bit.  I will require my employees to dress professionally.  Since my center will be a center that cares for children with medical needs scrubs will be ok, but they must fit appropriately, not too baggy not too loose.  They must also be length appropriate.  I cannot stand when scrub pants are too long and dragging the ground and all ripped up it looks very tacky and unprofessional.

Journal 6

1.) The confidentiality code was violated when the child care center had the his records transferred without talking to the mom first.

2.) The confidentiality code was violated when the teacher was talking to the other teacher about the child that she had no business knowing about. Also when the teacher told the other parents about his biting.

 3.) I don't think there should have been a discussion between the directors without the mom's permission. Sometimes it is good to get a fresh start. The director prepared the staff and the staff prepared the other parents of his biting which singled him out, which is not fair. I think the director should have discussed things with the mother first and then if she needed more information ask to call the previous center. It sets him up for failure if all he has done follows him and he is "punished" for it. 

4.) The mother, director, and whoever is caring for Eric should have been in the meeting. and maybe even just a meeting with the director and mother first, then include the teacher.

 5.) I do think a conversation with Eric's classmates would have helped. Eric's condition was unknown to the other children and if the children knew the back story maybe they would have been nicer to him. The teacher is the facilitator in how the other children treat Eric. She is the model.

 6.) Some methods that would have eased Eric's transition would have been talking to him about the rules and maybe weaning him away from elmo instead of just saying no or even telling him why he couldn't have elmo. Same for the sandwich his mom made, he wanted it because his mom made it and losing his dad, his mom is all he has. I know it is because of the peanut butter he couldn't have it, but if you were to explain why he couldn't have the sandwich because it could make someone sick if they are allergic to it would have made things different.

 7.) I feel the teachers conversation at the restaurant was very inappropriate. You should never talk about a child in a negative way like that especially in a public place where people can hear because you never know who is sitting next to you and knows the child. That mother now has a very negative perspective of the teachers.

 8.) If the conversation would have happened in the staff lounge it would have been much different. It is a way of venting and letting things out but only if it is in a positive way and will help you care for the child better.

 9.) The director is the culpret of the whole situation. Had she talked to the mother first and then had a meeting with the teachers and with Eric and gotten the story from them things would have been much different! We want to be a positive light for these children and none of the teachers or directors were being a light. I know she ment well but it back fired. The way things were presented put him in a negative view before he even had a chance to show them who he was.

 10.) I personally wouldn't leave my child at the school. You went behind my back and obtained records I didn't want you to have and wanted a fresh start and this center took that away from my son. No he is labeled the biter, the teacher didn't prepare him for what the rules are, and didn't prepare her class for my son's differences. The teachers seam to not care about their children and only want to gossip, in a public place at that!

Journal 5

Staff Meeting Agenda Questions, Comments, Concerns from Last Meeting -We now have healthy snacks in the break room. -Working on clearance for Field Trip to Zoo. We will need parent volunteers to make this happen so be talking with your parents and get a feel for what parents are interested. New Kiddos-New Conditions -Joey...Trach -Ella...G-tube -Phoenix...Oxygen and Monitors Fundraiser -Need volunteers for Parent Night Out October 11th and 25th. Drills Next Week -Tornado, Fire, Evacuation next week. Be prepared. Parking -Please do not park infront of the doors. Those spots are for parents only. New Teacher -Julie, New grad will be working in the Infant room as the Lead Teacher. Please make her feel welcome. Questions, Comments, Concerns...??? Staff Meetings are important to inform all staff of what is going on in the center. Problems that have come about and how as a team or management we have decided to handle them. It helps the center to be on one page and to be able to voice concerns about things that may not otherwise be addressed at any other time. But if given the opportunity could be brought to light and a solution formed.

Journal 4

When someone doesn’t use my name it doesn’t bother me that much, but I will have to say when someone uses my name it makes me feel special and like I have done something for them to remember my name.  So I really push myself to make my self stand out to where people will remember my name, not by what I’ve done wrong but how I’ve made them feel or by what I’ve done for them. 

When someone gives me the cold shoulder it makes me feel like I have done something wrong and I need to fix it.  I am a pretty laid back person and get along with just about anyone, so when that happens I feel like it is me that has done something wrong and I do my best to try and fix it.  Sometimes it makes me very self conscious and I’m racking my brain trying to figure out what it was that I had done and in reality they were just having a bad day.

When someone doesn’t make eye contact and only greets me with complaints makes me feel less human.  That person is completely disregarding me as a person and only me as the disciplinarian or the thing to fix the problem.  When this happens I am not the person caring for the child.  It becomes less personal and I almost get on the defense.  I think it’s important, not to sugar coat things by any means, but to acknowledge the person you are speaking with as a person and not an object at your disposal.  

Journal 3

Activity 2.1 Creating Consistant Messages

Peanut Allergie Sinario I would explain to the parent that we have that policy in place for all of the children at the center's health and safety. Even though a child may not be in that class if they come in contact with that product they can have an allergic reaction. We want to protect all of our children and that they are welcome to bring something without peanuts/peanutbutter. I would then discuss with my teachers when approached about something that is against policy to reiterate that whatever policy the parents are trying to break.

Prefered Friday Shift Sinario I would tell her I understand the difficult situation she is in. But to allow everyone the same opportunity I can't allow her to be scheduled from 7-3:30 every Friday. I will however allow her to switch with someone if they will switch their Friday with her, as long as it doesn't become a problem where people feel pressured to do so.


Activity 2.2 Handling Confrontation

Stealing Lesson Plans Sinario
I would approach the teacher away from the children and say I see that she used my ideas.  I would state that I had talked to some of the other teachers about their projects and discussed mine as well.  I would express that I didn't appericiate her taking my ideas and using them as her own and if she would like to team up and do a lesson plan together I would appericiate that next time or if she needs help I would be willing to help her.

Furious Father Sinario
I would express that I see he is upset about the situation and I'm sorry his daughter got pinched.  I would inform him that I would be happy to speak with the director and have her call him or set up a meeting so he can speak with her.  I would also express that I keep a close eye on all of the children, but had I known she got hurt I would have let him know about it yesterday, that per policy we report all injuries to parents.  I would also, while the child is there discuss what happend that she got hurt and that if she ever gets hurt again she can always come and talk to me or any of the other teachers that we need to know if she gets hurt.

Journal Entry 2-DEFINING WHO I AM!

Define Who I Am

I visualize my business as a place of refuge where people can bring their children so they can make a living for their family. The families I will care for have been through so much just to have this child in their life. In caring for their child who has medical complications parents are very anxious, nervious, and stressed about having their child stay with someone who doesn't know how to adequately take care of their child's medical needs. I am in hopes of opening my doors to give those families comfort and peace that their child will be cared for and loved while they work.

I don't really consider myself to be affordable child care center. My rates will be higher than the average child care center, BUT we would be a specialized center with licensed nurses and medical staff to care for their children. When you pay more for your staff the tuition goes up. I am in hopes of being able to gain non-profit status and obtain grants to decrease the tuition for parents.

Being academically oriented is very important. Zero to three is an important stage for education and sets the stage for the rest of their life. So of course I will be an academically oreinted center.

Policies, programs, equipment, and curriculum I use to identify my program include: Our policies that will identify our program are policies that allow inclusion. Our program will include children with medical needs. Equipment will include medical equipment to adequately care for those children. Curriculum we will use the ELG's 0-36 months and our teachers will be certified to create lesson plans for the children and their needs.

The strenghts of my center will be a group of staff that genuinly care. The staff of my center will care for these children and their families to make a difference in their life. Our goal is to leave their life on a positive note. There will be a registered nurse on staff at all times to care for the children in the center with NICU experience.

At this point since Heaven's Little Stars is a vision of mine there is everything to improve on. We are just in the very very baby steps of becoming non-profit. At this point I would say improvement is to obtain a board so we can obtain Non-Profit Status.

Journal 1

My name is Lisa Sullivan. I am a Registered Nurse at OU Children's Hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I am taking this early care education class because I am on the Associate Directors Track. I am in hopes of one day opening a Non-Profit Child Care Center for children ages 0-3 with various medical complications. I am pretty technology savy, but I had no idea how to make a blog so this will be interesting and very helpful down the road when I do get my center up and running. I hope to gain a better knowledge of how to communicate better with parents as a center.