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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-11-06, Page 12ance-Times,rt$., Neveraber 6 R9ict3 blic health nursing. n irreplaceable servic Defining the goals and VeSpensibilities of any profmicat IS seldom an easy task. How de, you incorporate every job, every duty and every ramification ny profession entails? When it comes to defining public health nursing, however, the task is not only difficult, it is well nigh inapctsoible "We do everything." answered Mrs. Janet Reid of the Wingham Publii Health office when asked to describe her function, and this is probably as good an answer as any. Mrs. Reid and Miss Canape Kuc are the two public health' nurses chargno with providing puttlic health services for this area A , list of all their functio.ns would be interminable, including such jobs as hospital and home visits. school coitsultations, clinics of every description. pre -and pest - natal training for new parents MRS. HAZEL HEUGHAN and Miss ConnienNuc chat and ioke during one of Miss Kuc's visits to the hospital. The public health nurses visit the patients regularly to discuss problems and arrange for home visits if necessary. and general health counselling. There are about 10 pubbc health nurses in Huron County. providing SerVIICeS that vary with the Intl% idual needs of every community The major function al the group is. perhaps. auriung an integral and continuous health service to the public The public health nurses are basically co- ordinators moth special prepara- tion. not an easy cob The field of specialization ex, tends within bath professional nursing and the very bread area of organized public health ser- vices. The base for servi is ,e family unit, i.e., trey 4. eh patient or client as both 4, • vidual and a member of a group at home, at mirk and at school. hi pursuit of their duties, public health nurses must work closely with doctors, hospitals. teachers, other health services and the general public. A review of a week's work for Miss Kuc, one of Wingham's two public health nurses, is perhaps the best explanation of her func- tion. The Saskatchewan native is a newcomer to Huron County and a novice in the public health field_ She graduated in May 1975 from Laurentian University in Sud- bury, with training in geriatrics, psychiatry and a bachelor of science in nursing. Her training is invaluable in the public health field. her chosen profession. A large part of her nark is consultation with both elementary and secondary school children. The %Ingham office is respsible for five elementary schools and F. E. Madill. Several afternoons every week find Miss Kuc at the high school. advising students on health and related problems_ Her contacts at Madill are mostly girls, although some boys do take advantage of the services. Topics of concern span from general health problems to questions about birth control techtuques. family worries and emotional problems Teachers often refer students who seem to have learning problems or in- dications of a physical condition that may warrant medical in- vestigation. Miss Kuc must rely 011 her training and knowledge for answers and. if necessary, refer- rals to the proper medical authorities Several mornings are spent visiting the area elementary schools. The problems encoun- tered there are similar to those at the high school. with perhaps more and closer contacts with teachers. Miss Kuc acts as the • health consultant for the schools. Vision and hearing difficulties are the biggest problems in the elementary schools. Miss Kuc ex- plains. with nutrition next on the list. Medical advice is offered not only to the student but to his family, this often means travel- ling to the home to meet with the parents. Home visits and clinics also occupy a large space of Bliss hues time. Mrs. Reid regularly visits hospital patients to consult en the need for home visits and nursing care. Geriatric patients are the major focus of the pro- gram, needing a constant review of their physical and emotional progress. Homevisits are also scheduled for pre- and post -natal cdunsel- ling. Mothers who are high-risk patients or wtilbse newborn child- ren are considered high risks get advice and help. Nev mothers also get training in, bathing. feed - mg and general health practices. The visits are set up on a privity basis due to a lack of time. oth Mrs. Reid and Miss Kuc are involved with the different clinics in the corm, Some of the clinics are organized by the Huron County Public Health Department, but the area public health nurses attend to help and learn. Services often include immuninatien, visici and hearing screening and health training. Other clinics, like the new pre- natal and child health clinic recently organized in Gorrie, are projects operated and supervised by Mrs. Reid and !Mass Kinn. Other special projects, like a special babysitting class for grade seven and eit sutdents at Howick Central, add even more to the time donated by the nurses to public health services. And, of course, even public health 'nurses have their share of red tape and paper work to un- ravel: reports, follow-up calls on patients, referrals and cansfilta- tions with doctors.. The hours spent by the public health nurses, if computed for one week, would add up to touch more than the 40 - hour ideal of many other profes- sions. There is no public health nurs- ing week in Ontario or in Canada. but perhaps there should be_ Public health nurses are more than nurses and more than public servants — they're an important and irreplaceable institution that deserves,more recognition than it receives. Goderich RC school wants crossing guards By Bev Clark A request for immediate action was sent to the Huron -Perth separate school board by Si Mary's School in Goderich. The request was presented to the board at their meeting. held last Monday night, in Dublin. The school asked that the board request the Town of Goderich to supply and pay an adult crossing guard at the Bayfield Road gnd Bennett Street intersection for the safe crOssing of students attending St. Mary's School. The board agreed to send a request immediately. St. Mary's School further requested that the board ask the Town of Goderich to consider installing sidewalks along Bennett Street firtim SI Mary's Schoel to Huron Road. that there be an extension of sidewalks en Bayfield !Iced to the intersect= of Bennett Street : and that a traffic light he imotaLted at the intersect= of Bayfield Road and Bennett Streets The board o.to write a 4 tette- to the ne. • to. ti nouncil askurg d ccuncil has wen any cv.ederatoon to tSt posets Joentioti's Schonln Stratfcend alo47, requested that Lhe Board :niterr. the S:ra:ftord Traffic Cenennononor.01 ns noneerti for the safety of the children and request the provision of a sidewalk alorg the West side ' . Vincent Street from West - Id Patricia Road_ The board agreed to form the Stratford Traffic Cam - mission of its concern, immedi- ately:. In further business. a motion by John O'Drowsky and Vince Young for the board to co voider hiring a part-time. at least half- time family life co-ordinator was heard_ After much diSCLISSitall as to whether this program waned run into conflict with relig;ion classes, it was agreed that the two programs. Religion and Family Life glazed be kept separate as they are two-titinnct programs_ The motion was passe& The board agreed to rent one a their partaMe dams to a *Mit schottlitt Listowel from January 1. MS to June SD. 1.97ne for the sum of SiSOO. pats the cost of moving the pertakte and relocating it_ In a special meeting 01 Board held October M. tx, trzhia- for the addition to St Paths schotalitt K.nt.ra,was awarded to Pnoinder Brothers. Sorattand for a net price of Sine-YOro11 is the towest of four tendnns senornar.ed HOSPITAL VISITS with mothers and their newborn children are part of the duties of the public health nurse. Mrs. Janet Reid visits with Mrs. Elizabeth Stobo and her two:day:0d baby Linda Marie to decide whether home visits will be required after their release from the hospital. HIGH SCHOOL sTuDENT, ore one group that benerdi greatly from the expertise and experience of the public health ntien-r-s. Miss Connie Kuc schedules student visits thirctmhout the afternoons, providing aansultaticn and advice on a variety of topics_ Here she tends an attentive ear to Lynn roxfora_ ALTHOI GH MOST 'OF THE STUDENTS ccnsulting the public health nurse at the high so -nonce ane t's scene beys a:sc take advantage of ttte services. The' topics vary greatly, 4YJssCrn-ne < ttoetic attitude that puts everyone at ease, as Jamie Ctr-3,11 ca." nen tenntw CZNNDE iktirnt 6czastont tot anntantTt lo-TA+t Vo* teeofq“ neetztance centrozi tor 4Toont7e. 6.nre tc *ten tiler detny pebnc ne-attn roesr to tine stede.n‘s Bet- act n on -aonnon, innon-nento onn- ntnenon ;neer e-t-trests. 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