Elevating kindy care to a new level

A career change that never quite happened led to Casandra Bourke developing a fresh approach to childcare in her 3 Good Life Kindergarten and Child Care centres across the City of Logan.  

The centres – at Park Ridge, Logan Reserve, and, most recently, Beenleigh, which opened in April – combine an old-fashioned approach heavy on cuddles and light on screens with an innovative model including having an onsite nurse every day. 

Casandra says a few years ago, after working in childcare her entire career, she decided to study nursing – but found her way back. 

‘I noticed when I was wearing my nursing gear kids were hesitant to come to me – and as an early childhood educator, that’s something I am not used to at all; they were unsure because they hadn’t seen a healthcare worker before nor been in that sort of environment,’ she says. 

‘That was my first lightbulb moment. I wondered how we could get these children more familiar with nurses and comfortable around them. 

‘During my placement as a medically endorsed student nurse it occurred to me that after leaving a medical setting, I could attend my childcare centre and administer medications like pain medication, SVT medications and so on with no medication qualifications – which imposed a threat to children’s health and safety. 

‘With our early childhood enrolled nurses, they can see when a child is contagious, when they have a reaction or when they need to go home, and they can make a child who is feeling unwell but not contagious comfortable. 

‘It reduces sickness in the centre and means parents don’t have to keep their children home and take time off work for longer than necessary. It also gives them peace of mind to know that our nurse is here.’ 

The early childhood enrolled nurse also cleans and sterilises all stations throughout the centres on the hour (and more often during flu season), and holds health sessions with the children, including how to wash hands, and what a stethoscope can do. 

‘We’ve never had a bad flu season in Good Life centres,’ Casandra says. 

Her first centre opened in February 2020, right before the pandemic caused chaos across the childcare industry – but, due in large part to their model of having a nurse onsite, they began the pandemic with 12 per cent occupancy and ended with an 86 per cent occupancy rate. 

‘Parents were really reassured that we had a nurse here during that time,’ Casandra says. 

Nurse Jen Prince, who has worked with Good Life since it opened, says the children love to pay her a visit. 

‘It is amazing, as soon as I set foot into the playground kids are calling out ‘nurse Jen, nurse Jen’ – it feels great to have made an impact with them,’ she says. 

‘They will come and proudly tell me when they get their vaccinations and that they weren’t nervous. It’s fantastic to see that they have that confidence when they go to the doctors.’ 

Beenleigh centre manager Belinda Seymour says the onsite nurse is an extension of the child-focused philosophy of the centre. 

‘Of course we are here to serve the whole family, but it is the child first and foremost,’ she says. 

‘Playing with them, making sure they are happy, looking them in the eye and giving them that care is central to everything – other things can wait. 

‘ For some families, we are additional primary carers as early childhood educator because both parents work – and we put the time in and do everything we can for the child’s nurture. 

‘The main priority is the kids and making sure they have the day they need.’ 

You can find out about Good Life on their website and Facebook page.