Paediatric emergency nurse and founder of Rhythm First Aid, Nicole Gleeson, has partnered with Cotton On KIDS on a first aid checklist.
Nicole has produced a first aid checklist for expecting and new parents that can be found in Cotton On KIDS stores globally.
“We were put in touch with Cotton On through a mutual friend, and Cotton On helped us celebrate our fifth birthday. And Cotton On Kids were relaunching their baby newborn organics range, and they wanted someone to come on board to help support that. They reached out to us to create this first aid checklist as a really valuable resource to help parents," says Nicole.
“It's this great checklist that's in store that parents can follow along to help reduce that overwhelm.”
The first aid checklist covers everything you need to monitor your little one's temperature, treat minor scratches and manage unexpected accidents in the home or on the go.
“The importance of this checklist is to help cut through the noise and provide a really succinct, clear, detailed checklist that you can follow to then know and have that peace of mind that you have everything that's required from a first aid perspective in your home.
“As a new parent myself, I know that there is so much noise in such a heavily saturated place in terms of that newborn scene. Hopefully, this can provide some clarity.
“We know from people attending our infant and child first aid courses that parents are often really overwhelmed with, ‘What should I include in a first aid kit? What should I do about this?’. And this is a really direct, clear resource that parents can use not only here in Australia, but around the globe as well to help with their mind at ease and to help with that mental load.”
Nicole is determined that your postcode should not define the level of first aid training or access to resources you receive. Since 2018, Rhythm First Aid has been providing families and businesses in rural and regional Victoria with first aid courses and supplies.
Working as an emergency nurse in a trauma centre, Nicole has experienced first-hand the importance of well developed first aid knowledge and skills that can potentially save a life.
“Rhythm First Aid is a first aid company that was founded by myself five years ago. I'm a paediatric emergency nurse with a postgraduate degree in paediatrics. I work in a large tertiary paediatric emergency department, as well as a couple of other departments in the hospital.
“I've seen firsthand the importance of having a well-stocked first aid kit. And I've seen firsthand the difference between parents that have enacted great first aid in a timely manner and those that unfortunately haven't, and the difference between the child's outcomes, potentially, not always.
“And sometimes having that first aid knowledge and having those first aid physical resources is the difference between a really good outcome and a bad outcome.”
As a small business in rural Victoria, Nicole says the collaboration has increased their brand awareness and allowed them to spread valuable health information worldwide.
“They are a global company, so we are thrilled that our checklist is in all of their Cotton On KIDS stores globally as well. You can also download the checklist online.
"The benefit for us as a really small business in rural Victoria is that we have increased brand awareness, and also this partnership is a prime example of how businesses, healthcare professionals and health businesses can come together to create something that's beneficial from a health perspective.”
Nicole encourages other small businesses to seek out collaborations with big brands.
“Put yourself out there. I think everyone is an expert in their own field and you have so much to offer. I think as a woman, sometimes that imposter syndrome creeps in and you just need to try and squash it down and think, 'No, I am an expert in my field and the information that I have is really important and is really helpful'.
"These big brands that are looking for partnerships or collaborations; you've got so much to offer them.”