Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-22
Work of Public
Health Nurse.
Is Important

~
ton to the facts concerning public
health nursing. contained in the fol-
lowing item. The committee is espe-
c1ally DESTROYS of creating interest in
this work just now, and hopes for a
good attendance at the annual meet
ing of the Public Welfare association
Thursday night at the city hall:
Reconstruction in his. county,
Judging by the activities Of the gov
is to be attacked first from the pub
lie health standpoint and nj national
public health program, according to
health authorities. cannot be success
fully carried out without the aid of
public health nurses.
$50 great has been the emphasis
laid>upon the public health nurse that
the importance of the organization
behind her is often overlooked. On
it. however, depends all permanent
success, for no nurse. were she Flor
achieve lasting results unless the
foundation on which she stands, the
organization, As good.
THE care of the sick and the teach
ing on health subjects in any COM
naupity, are the responsibility of the
community itself. The community
is represented In the matter by an as
ISOLATION which in, turn vests its ad-
ministrative. responsibility in its board
of directors. s
Three things must be urged upon
really important work lies before
them, which they can in nc wise dc
vicariously through their nurse, but
to which they must expect to give OF
their best, o no nurse car work sue
cessfully unsupported. Second, that
the work must be entered upon with
minds Hospitality inclined to new
ideas new methods, new develop.
ments. Third. the fact must not be
lost sighto that this s not an iso-
lated group OF people working alone
for better health in one locality but IL
an important. link in the great chain
OF the public health movement and
that the strength Of the whole is
their strength. The first step should
be an effort to become familiar with
public health nursing as done in 9TH
er places. for 1t Is a waste OF energy
to make avoidable mistakes.
1.-THE Public Welfare association of
/. Grand Forks is, the organization
which has taken the responsibility OF
public health nursing. and the work
has grown to such an extent that new
m members ana new committees are
can outline Of the work as it is be-
ing done in many-other cities may
be Of interest here.
zone of the main committees Of
such an organization is the nurses
committee, which peets regularly
once q month, sometimes oftener. go
ing over with the nurse each detail
OF the work and from the knowledge
gained makes recommendations to
the board. Under this committee are
usually two or more subcommfttees
the supply and diet committees, etc.
The duties of the supply committee ID
Ito see that the supplies in the loan
closet are always ketp up. dressings
made. etc. The diet committee sup
who are unable to get them in their
own homes.
Then we have the nurses voluntee.
assistants who are doing such splen-
did work in the Child welfare cam
paign.> These volunteers are known
as the Home Health Volunteers or
the H. H. V. They are young WON
any non-sspecialized task. They US
ually pledge themselves to give from
II to "a hours Of service per week.
Their work consists mainly In making
appointments with the dentists and
doctors and taking, children to the
doctofg' and dentists offices for ex-
aminations, treatments. etc, az the
mothers Of these children are very
often too busy or cannot leave their
homes because of several small Chill
dren; then, too, in many 8 1t IL
much better for tho child II the moth
or is not present during an examine
ton or treatment. Th4y also arrange
TOR auto rides. picnics and outings
Another COMMITTEES Of great i'm
lportance IL the Friendly Visitors. The
duties Of this committee are varied
and many. They are q group<of WON.