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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Nursery reaction to DS having to go to A&E after a fall

23 replies

JudysDreamHorse · 10/09/2012 15:21

Hello.
DS (nearly 2yo) moved up to the toddler room at nursery last week which means he now spends he plays outside in a fairly large garden with less supervision. On Friday I got a call to say he had fallen and cut his eyebrow and it looked quite deep so could I come and get him. I took him to the local doctors and was advised to take him to A&E to get it glued which I did and it was all fairly straightforward.
I'm a bit uneasy about how the nursery have reacted to the whole thing. I got the usual accident form to sign on the day but I would have thought an accident which required a visit to A&E would have been followed up a bit more. They asked how DS was when I arrived this morning but that seemed to be the end of it as far as they were concerned. Have any of you had something similar happen? How did your nursery follow it up?
I know it wasn't a particularly serious accident and it could have happened when I was looking after him but I just feel it merits a little more attention than they are giving it. I'm also a bit concerned they don't know how it happened - they just heard him crying and found him bleeding so assume it was a fall (not suggesting there was anything untoward though). Any advice would be appreciated.

OP posts:

moogster1a · 10/09/2012 16:44

Bit perplexed as to how you would have preferred they react? They asked about him this am, I assume they weren't to know he went to a&e after the GP.
They filled in the accident form...

LadyMargolotta · 10/09/2012 16:49

My ds aged three fell off a roundabout the other week. He was the only child in the playground, and I was constantly supervising him, and I still managed not to stop him falling.

These things happen.

How do you feel about the nursery in general? Are you happy with their care?

moogster1a · 10/09/2012 16:55

With the not noticing thing, unfortunately that is a lot more likely to happen at a nursery ( I'll try not to get on my soapbox about why childminders are so much better!!)

LadyMargolotta · 10/09/2012 16:58

I don't agree that it is more likely to happen at a creche then a childminder. In my area the creches are better staffed then the childminders and the staff at creches able to take proper breaks, unlike child minders.

NoComparison · 10/09/2012 16:59

I don't know what else they could have done TBH. They realised he might need medical attention and called you so you could arrange that and they asked after him when you saw them next. What else do you want?

Original poster

JudysDreamHorse · 10/09/2012 17:01

Thanks for the replies. I might be being a bit PFB but I just thought that an accident requiring a visit to A&E might trigger some sort of procedure. Maybe look at the area where he fell to see if it was safe/have a meeting with me to discuss it. An accident which ends in A&E seems like a big deal to me. My DH phoned the nursery on Friday to tell them we had gone to A&E and that we wouldn't be back in so they did know - at least I texted him to ask him to.......will check up on that.
Maybe I'm being unreasonable but I was just surprised it was treated as a run of the mill event. That's why I posted to see if this was a normal response and if I was building it up as something bigger.
I think I'm maybe feeling funny about him moving up to the bigger room. I'm generally pretty happy with the nursery though I have been surprised about the how they supervise the garden. I had to hunt for him when I picked him up one day last week and he just seems a bit little for someone not to know where he is. I'm actually really happy that they are allowed to have play which involves risk and I know accidents will happen and are a normal part of growing up but still feel a trip to A&E is a bit of an event. Sure once we've been there for the xth time it will lose its novelty.

OP posts:

Glittertwins · 10/09/2012 17:02

We had exactly the same kind of accident when DS was 15months old. I needed to take him to a doctor because of the injury to his eye socket. It was patched up with tape. They did know how he did it and it was recorded on accident form.

Hulababy · 10/09/2012 17:02

What would you have liked to see happen?

As for the more likely in nursery than childminder - not in my experience. Often the child:staff ratio is the same anyway.

Matildarae · 10/09/2012 17:04

Kids fall all the time especially toddlers I think the nursery acted appropriately.Yes he had to go to a and e but that doesn't make it a serious accident, they only use glue to prevent scaring.

Original poster

JudysDreamHorse · 10/09/2012 17:06

Seems I am being PFB. Guess I just expected a bit more fuss! Thanks for putting it in perspective.

OP posts:

JustFabulous · 10/09/2012 17:10

I totally get what you are trying to say, OP, but a lesson you soon learn is that no one cares as much about your child as you do and while it seems a big deal to you it isn't to the nursery in the same way. However, they should be asking him what he banged his head on so the item can be checked for safety and they should make checks that the staff who should have been outside, were.

wonkylegs · 10/09/2012 17:10

I think you are worrying too much. If it was an unusual accident that you wouldn't expect to happen to a kid in those circumstances such as a scald or burn or a fall from somewhere the child shouldn't have been i'd expect further action but as unpleasant and upsetting as it is for you & your son, a fall & deep cut (and the associated A&e trip) is unfortunately par for the course in early childhood. DS's was on our holiday last year but it was fine.

TiggyD · 10/09/2012 22:02

There is a procedure for major injuries. Can't remember what it's called. It's for broken bones and stuff.

Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 10/09/2012 22:14

My dd2 injured her arm at preschool and we were advised to go to a&e. Turned out she had fractured her arm. The preschool people were mortified that it happened there and couldn't have been nicer, gave us free sessions etc. They had to fill out a form for the health & safety exec but I think that was it.

There really isn't a lot anyone can do. Kids hurt themselves all the time, at home or at school.

vigglewiggle · 10/09/2012 22:21

DD fell at her dance class and landed on her teeth . I was outside and the staff brought her to me and helped me to console her. Later that night the woman in charge of the company rang me at home, apologised for ringing quite late but explained that she had just found out about it and wanted to check that she was ok.

I think that is the type of concern I like to see from people who are caring form my children, so I can understand your concern.

N0tinmylife · 10/09/2012 22:22

As far as that incident I don't think the nursery could have done much more, although you would like to think someone would have been watching him. I would find it a little concerning that you had to look for him when you went to pick him up the other time. How childproof and secure is the garden? I wouldn't like to think of a 2 year old being able to go off, without at least half an eye on him!

JennyWren · 10/09/2012 22:28

When my DS fell at nursery at had a deep cut that needed glueing and steri-stripping the nursery reported it to the county council childrens team as a matter of course, who followed it up with my by letter and by phone, to check that I was happy that what nursery had told them happened was the same as my understanding of it, and that I was happy with the way it had been dealt with by the nursery. So I do see where you are coming from, OP. I was told that it was an automatic response to any event which resulted in medical treatment being sought. I live in Oxfordshire, if that makes any difference.

JennyWren · 10/09/2012 22:30

I should say that it was a simple fall - DS fell over his own feet, and I was very happy with the way it was dealt with. This wasn't because I had made any complaint, and it had been reported by the nursery before I even took him in for his next session. The nursery called me at home to check how he was, too.

beatofthedrum · 10/09/2012 22:45

I don't think you are being PFB. I would not be impressed with any nursery who did not call to find out how your ds was after an A+E trip. I am a teacher and on the rare occasions one of my pupils has been injured in the playground and required urgent medical treatment I have as a matter of course contacted the parent to check on the child's well-being.

I think it is inappropriate for under 2s to be given such a free rein as to require searching for. I would not be comfortable with this at all. Under 2s do plenty of daft things.

Surprised so many think the nursery has been fine. I'd say they've done the minimum they had to. You'd hope they'd actually care what had happened, and also that they would examine the safety/supervision arrangements in place at the time.

dribbleface · 11/09/2012 10:50

As a nursery manager i would have called you the next day to ask how he was. I would be writing to you to let you know that I would be investigating. I would interview staff, review garden, observe staff supervision, check ratios. Some or all of this might be happening. Ask to chat the nursery manager and find out.

RIDDOR is not applicable in this case as I assume he didn't stay in?

littleducks · 11/09/2012 11:06

Ds had a similar accident, he ran then tripped and fell into a pole supporting the sunshade/canopy.

Nursery called me, I picked him up and took him to minor injuries. The nursery manager asked me to text her once he had been seen by a dr, which I did. I would have signed an accident form at some pint but can't remember.

A few days late the manager talked to me about the accident, how they had tried to work out why it had happened, that nothing had been on floor and it was a bit of a fluke falling as such an angle. They moved outside toys slightly, implemented a no running under the canopy rule (I think ds may have been ignoring it at that point anyway) and I added the pole.

I'm not sure any of that was necessary but they clearly cared, we're upset he was hurt in their care and did everything they could think of to review the situation and make sure it didn't happen again.

I spoke to another mum who's child had an accident there, she was in a state when she saw him (not badly hurt but she panicked) and nursery manager drive them both to A and E as she was worried mum wasn't safe to drive.

Mandy21 · 12/09/2012 12:46

Had a similar incidence - DS fell over at nursery and banged his lip on a chair - deep cut and I got a call at work saying I needed to collect him and take him to A&E. I had 2 children at the nursery - manager of the nursery and his key worker made a point of waiting for my husband when he came to collect the other child to ask how he was and followed it up the next day too.

I'm not sure there is a need to follow it up with the Council etc, its my opinion its about demonstrating that they care for the child and are concerned that he's OK, rather than the fact that they abided by some policy or other.

procrastinor · 12/09/2012 13:13

Hmm. Surely if you took him to the GP first you also didn't think it was that major? And if your GP did some minor injuries stuff then it would have been dealt with at the surgery rather than A&E. So how were they to know to call you up that evening? If you only told them the next day that it was a trip to A&E to get glued then I think that's just part and parcel of adventurous toddlers.

If you had told them he had to stay in overnight or started vomiting or required a trip to theatre to get it stitched then yes I'd be a bit put out that they didn't seem that bothered.

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