Preschool injuries in child care centers: Nursing strategies for prevention

Injuries to children 0 to 12 years of age pose a national health problem. Injuries are a particular problem in child care settings. Both research and anecdotal reports confirm that most injuries in the child care setting are cuts, scratches, and abrasions caused by falls indoors and in play-grounds. Other injuries are caused by human bites and motor vehicle pedestrian injuries. Child development centers are an obvious focal point to direct injury prevention services by nurses. The nurse's role in injury prevention is to educate the child care providers about injuries and then teach them the skills to assess and monitor injury prevention strategies. This article discusses the problem of injuries in child care centers in general and discusses injury prevention strategies the nurse can share with the child care provider. Educational resources are included to help the child care providers assess and monitor their own center's injury risk.