AIBU to be extremely concerned about the fact nursery's response to my daughters asthma?

[WorriedParent44]

I dropped my 3yo off to nursery this morning. It's a nursery that's part of a infant school. She is there for 3 hours.

I explained that she has a bad cough and may need her inhaler this morning and could they keep an eye on her.

I thought I was just going to give them a heads up about her cold and that would be that. They would say fine, and I would leave.

But the nursery teacher called an assistant over to discuss who would administer it. It was all rather vague. They didn't seem to know what would happen if she needed it. They seem perplexed tbh

I also explained that if she running around she would definitely need it and they said we won't be running as it's raining. I don't consider that a satisfactory response. She may need it even of they are not running.

When I had a one to one with the teachers before she started, they said it would be fine to leave an inhaler in nursery. So I took one in, along with her mask and signed all the forms. If they said they wouldn't have been able to administer it,I would never have taken her to that nursery.

Now I'm worried sick that she will be wheezing and no one will take care of her. I don't think they realise it's a life threatening condition.

AIBU to be concerned? I feel like just picking her up now.

When the nursery teacher called an assistant over to discuss who would administer it, did they make a decision about who would do it?

Yes, I would be concerned especially as it is part of a school. There should be policies and procedures in place to cover this. Maybe (wrongly) the nursery teacher isn't aware of these but she should be. I suggest that you ask for a meeting with the Head of Early Years to discuss how they can keep your child safe at school.

Why didn't you make sure they understood before you left?

I would ring them and discuss tbh.

I also explained that if she running around she would definitely need it and they said we won't be running as it's raining. I don't consider that a satisfactory response. She may need it even of they are not running.

Their response was fine surely? You said she would definitely need it if she had been running, they reassured you that they wouldn't be running about today as they would be indoors. Just from what you've posted, they weren't saying she wouldn't need it at all, just that they wouldn't be running.

I would be concerned too -asthma is hardly unusual, and there should be plans in place for any illnesses like that. I'd ring the nursery today to check, if you're worried, then arrange a meeting with them to discuss plans for the future and keeping your dc safe.

My eldest son was in a nursery like this.

I picked him up once and he was really wheezing. I asked why they hadn't given him the ventolin, their answer? "He was happy and playing."

They clearly knew fuck all about asthma. I've had children who can barely breath admitted to hospital and still they are playing with toys and generally happy.

What did they want to wait for, blue lips and unconsciousness?

That was one of many idiotic mistakes they made so I pulled him out and he went to an amazing childminder.

That is shocking. Everyone who works with children should have just a basic understanding of asthma.

I have to say I would remove DC and put my concerns to them in writing. Administering a pump should be something all staff are trained in, and if they couldn't care for your child, they should have raised this when you took in the ventilator etc.

They aren't supposed to run indoors. Schools quite strict about that ime.

"They aren't supposed to run indoors" is no answer. Children do this, even when it's against the rules. If an asthmatic small child does what every child in the history of small children has done, and breaks what he or she sees as a meaningless petty rule then has a severe asthma attack, does anyone honestly think a response of "well I didn't think I'd need to know how to help them administer their inhaler because running was against the rules" is an acceptable response from the people with a duty of care towards that child?

Those making light of this just aren't aware of how serious asthma can be. There was a terrible case a few years ago where a child having an asthma attack was left sitting outside the school nurse's office and died (secondary school, I think).

OP - I'd ask for for an appointment with the head teacher and raise your concerns (and make sure you send them in before the appointment in writing so there's a paper trail). If you don't get a satisfactory plan put in place, look for a different nursery and report to OFSTED.

Whilst I agree that it would be highly unusual for any EYFS staff not to have core first aid skills, I can completely understand a situation where the people you spoke with might not have. Please also remember that nursery/school staff are not medics. There is a statutory requirement for at least one person present to have paediatric first aid training. I would contact the setting and ask to speak with whoever is responsible for managing medicines. Find out who the designated paediatric first aider is. In our nursery, we work with parents who have children with known conditions to draw up a personal plan - we expect our parents to accept responsibility in managing medicines and very much rely on them to guide and support us, as every child's needs are different, even though we have had general, paediatric and asthma training. However, you have to work with the staff, so you have to be open and honest with your concerns and raise them in a calm manner. Mentioning a bad cough and possibly needing an inhaler at drop off is probably not the best time/place to discuss the specific needs of your child, to be honest. All the hyperbole about how shocking and bad it all is is not going to help anyone - arrange an appt, ask to draw up a care plan, sorted...gives you and the staff confidence that you're all on the same page and then no need to demand to see heads of dept, keep copies of letters etc. and if you're not comfortable, don't leave your child, there, that's your responsibility.

YANBU at all.. I have been really ignorant about asthma until recently...a 13 year old girl died on our road from an asthma attack at the weekend. So tragic. There needs to be a clear policy on who administers the inhaler and what signs to look for etc, and it needs to be easily accessible at all times (eg in my MILs school the child cannot go outside without their inhaler as the time taken to go back in to get it could make all the difference.)

Hope you get this sorted OP

Yanbu. Have you not been given forms to fill out explaining dosage etc? You should be fully aware of who should be administering the inhaler and so should they. It's vital times etc R kept track of.

YANBU to be concerned!!

Your child has an illness that could kill her and you do not think her care givers understand. You need to do something about this.

I have asthma and I am a complete idiot in that I do not take it seriously. I posted on here once and thanks to some lovely posters I got seen at the surgery and it was a real wake up call for me. I couldn't even speak a sentence in one go.

YANBU OP
Is there any way you could get a care plan in place for your dd? Do you go to an asthma clinic at hospital and if so, would the nurse be willing to go in and speak to the nursery about what procedures should be in place? Imo asthma isn't taken anywhere near seriously enough in schools and care can be very patchy.

Hubb until recently inhalers had to be locked away in schools . I am not sure of the dangers of someone taking one who isn't asthmatic but it is all too clear what can happen when someone isn't given one when they need it. IIRC there are plans afoot to change this. If it hasn't already been done it is a disgrace.

An actress who starred in Four Weddings died of an asthma attack at 33.

RIP to your neighbour's DD.

Thanks Itsfab

Oh really I didn't know that about them being locked up....I'm really surprised this isn't managed better in general I thought it was quite a common thing

I am very concerned by how the nursery dealt with this.
DS is asthmatic and has just gone in to reception. Whilst he was in Nursery he had a full care plan for his asthma, his inhaler and spacer and emergency cards were all kept in an emergency box in the emergency cupboard. All nursery staff were trained on how to administer his medications (both his inhalers and epipens) and fully trained on how to deal with an emergency (both asthma related and allergy in his case).
The staff were very confident in looking after him, and I never doubted their abilities to care for his asthma.
When he was outside of the classroom they had a buddy system, where his key worker for the day (usually the head of early years) would be in charge of monitoring him whilst he played out, and would have a bag on her at all times containing his emergency medications and emergency cards (that junior staff would take to reception to ring for an ambulance with all his medical info on should they need an ambulance). That way everyone knew who was in charge of looking after him and my son knew if he was starting to get breathless who to go to for help.
The school made sure this system was robust and tried and tested. They checked it was the best and most efficient system for keeping him safe.

I think you need to go in to school and request that a better system is put in place. Ask that they work with school nurses / Health visitors (might seem daft but our Health visitor was fantastic at sorting the epipen training out for our school when DS was 3) to get a robust and safe system in place. If they can't do that, I would be looking to remove my child.

Both DCs had chronic asthma and if I had any doubts I kept them at home until they were old enough to manage their own medication in school.

They came home for dinner in their early years at nursery and school so I could supervise their preventive inhaler use. At age 7 or so the inhalers were kept in the HT's office and they would go and ask for them at lunchtime.

They could get very ill very quickly and I thought it was too much to expect their teachers to be constantly aware.

In our workplace (nursery attached to school) we would ask you to work with us for a care plan and would keep an inhaler in nursery in the medical cupboard at all times.

You would also sign the careplan and all staff would be informed and trained in how to use it and have a file (usually inside the kitchen cupboard door where allergies and careplans are kept) so we could check it, if we weren't sure.

I think I'd have to ask questions that they didn't seem to know what to do.