Show the children pictures of nurses. Include photographs of male and female nurses from various nationalities to reinforce the idea that anyone can become a nurse. Discuss the responsibilities of nurses, including recording symptoms, assisting during examinations, administering medication and providing instructions for patient care. Ask the children about experiences they have had with nurses.
Describe the different places where nurses work. The majority of nurses are hospital staff nurses who provide bedside care in units such as maternity, surgery, pediatrics, and the emergency room. Office nurses work in doctor's offices, assist the doctor, dress wounds, collect specimens for laboratory work and maintain records. Some nurses care for patients in the home. Other nurses may work in schools or other locations. Ask the children where they have seen nurses.
Explain the education nurses receive about medicine. In every state, nurses must graduate from a nursing program and pass a licensing examination. Nurses often attend college to obtain a degree in nursing, which usually takes two to five years. Some states require nurses to continue their education and retest occasionally.
Teach the children some nursing vocabulary that will interest them. Explain that nurses may call the nose a "nasal cavity." "Spit" is also called "saliva" and "sweat" is actually called "perspiration." Other vocabulary words could include "in-patient," "out-patient" and "pediatrics."
Invite a nurse to the class as a guest speaker. Ask the nurse to explain the daily duties of a nurse and share her feelings about nursing. Children may be interested to learn why she decided to enter the nursing profession.
Demonstrate some basic first aid, such as dressing a bandage or treating a burn, to show some duties a nurse might perform.
Create a first aid kit. While advanced first aid kits should include an extensive list of items, have each child create a basic one. Let them decorate a simple cardboard box with craft items such as paint, wiggly eyes, pompoms, and markers. Give them each a few bandages, an emergency blanket and an ice pack.
Encourage children to ask questions they may have about nursing. If the children are hesitant, have an assistant begin asking common questions. Ask questions about the work environment, qualifications needed, what a nurse does every day, the tools they use and who they work with.