Area Youth Become Certified Babysitters

The Annual Babysitting Clinic, sponsored by the Partners of Black River Memorial Hospital and the hospital, was held June 14-16, 2011 at the Black River Falls Middle School.  Topics throughout the three days included: Guidelines for Sitters; Bathing, Feeding, and Dressing Babies; Fire Safety; Safety and Legal Responsibilities; First Aid; Responding to Emergencies, and Rescue Breathing and Choking Interventions.  

On the final day, the forty-seven students heard from a panel of parents who discussed experiences with babysitters and responded to questions from the students.  Students were given a test and awarded a certificate of course completion if they passed.  All forty-seven students passed and received a certificate. 

A great deal of appreciation goes out to the following presenters and coordinators of this service:  Black River Falls Fire Chief Steve Schreiber and Intern, Isaac Beran; Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Nosbisch; Black River Memorial Hospital’s Diane Johns, OB RN, Paulette Comstock, OB RN, Grayce West, OB RN, Mary Jo Ewing, Manager of Radiology, and her son, and Shawn Callisto, RN and Manager of Homecare; Connie Helstad, Sarah Wirtz, and Danielle Jacobs as members of Parent Panel; and finally, the coordinators, Sue Nordahl, Jeff Hefty, Sarah Osegard, and Amy Yaeger, all staff at Black River Memorial Hospital.  Funding for the Babysitting Clinic comes in part from the Lunda Charitable Trust.