Nurse at home: working tips for caring for a sick child

Taking care of a sick child as a nurse at home is one of the most difficult tasks any parent can face, especially if the sickness goes beyond common cold and fever into chronic illnesses or surgery. But then, there is just no greater responsibility as a parent than ensuring a child’s perfect health.

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However, cold and fever are not common, and a child with cold will need as much attention as one with a chronic illness. As a mother, you cannot escape having a sick child at home due to frequent changes in weather and the weakness of her immune system.

This is why as a mother, you are a nurse at home. And trust me, this is a responsibility you should shoulder with all glamour and pride. Although taking care of a sick child is not as easy as it seems as they will need quite some attention and love to be able to walk through a difficult time.

Do you even have a child with special needs at home? As much as there is fun associated with raising one, we should not disregard the challenges, given that parents are almost never prepared for such situations.

If the special need is related to the child’s mental health, it may be too cumbersome for the parent to deal with as it has more negative than positive effect on her.

According to the National Mental Health Association and the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (1993), parents who have children with mental illness mostly find it difficult to meet the needs of their own mental health while trying to meet the mental health needs of their child.

However, there are solutions to these challenges. Whether a child with cold, one with a surgery illness or one with special needs, none aren’t worth taking care of and this is why every mother should be a nurse at home. In this article, we will highlight the necessary actions to take as a mother with a sick child at home, while taking into consideration your health and comfort too.

How to be a nurse at home, tips for taking care of a sick child

Children are fun, and at the same time funny. A sick child doesn’t understand what’s happening to her, why he is feeling so low and sometimes being unable to convey it to you. But it’s your job as the mother to take these necessary actions to instill the feeling of comfort and security back into the child.

Comfort

Be honest

“It’s important to be clear and open when helping a child adjust to a serious medical condition” – healthy women. You can’t keep telling a sick child everything will be fine. Of course, it probably will but they need some information about what is happening to her, just as much as they can process.

Provide Emotional Support

As a mother and a nurse at home, the greatest moment a child needs your emotional presence is when they are sick. Before you talk to her about medical actions and implications, you must have shown her that whatever the situation is, you will always be around. Talk to her, sing her favourite songs, cuddle her up and read to her if she is of age.

Create a peaceful environment

In the midst of an illness, the last thing a child needs is external disturbances or distractions. Keep her away from any sounds of the television or video games as such, and let her relax in silence. Close the windows if the outside sounds are too loud.

Feeding

Easy-to-digest Foods

Most times when children are ill, they lose appetites for proper meals. So this is the best time to get her foods that are easily consumed and digested. Parenting Firstcry suggests mashed potatoes, cereals, toasts, biscuits and simple foods can stimulate the digestion process and provide nutrients as well.

Water

Lots of water plays an important role in seeing to a sick child regaining absolute health as dehydration often aggravates the problem at hand. However, it doesn’t necessary have to be water as other fluids such as juice help as well.

Soups

Vegetable soups work the wonders here as the warmth and nutrient alone can bring back her appetite and even prevent cold and cough.

Treatment

Ventilation

You shouldn’t choke a sick child as a mother caring for a sick child and a nurse at home, so at intervals, blow out the air. You should also make it a priority to change the blankets and bedsheets so you don’t just keep breeding germs and microbes in the room.

Warm Water Gargling

If the sickness is related to cough or cold, It is advised that you routinely make the child gargle with warm water mixed with salt as this can help soothe your her throat as well as work towards opening up the nasal cavities.

Enough Rest

Getting enough rest enhances the body’s self-healing ability and helps it focus on building up the energy to fight the infections.

Medical intervention

As a nurse at home, you can administer medicines you are informed about to a sick child but check the dosage and be sure of its usage before doing so. It’s understandable when a child detests going to a doctor, perhaps because of the fear of injection, but if she is in constant pain then make her understand and take the necessary action as soon as possible.