Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-26
COUNTY NURSES
ADVISE SCHOOLS
FOR DEFICIENT
Report Made to Commissioners
Sets Out Work With
Children.
HEALTH GAINS SOUGHT

That there are a number of children
in the county schools who are men
tally deficient" and should be placed in
a special school or special classes or
ganized for the county with teachers
who could devote their entire time to
them instead Of taking time from normal
children, is one OF the chief recommended
tions made by the Marion County nurses
in a report which was made public to-
day after being filed with the county
commissioners.
1t is impossible for two nurses to do
all the work in the county outside the
city it is stated. In order to give health
supervision in the schools, do the fol-
lOw-up work in the home, visit tubercu-
losis patients and give prenatal care to
expectant mothers and assist in the bed
side nursing of sick patients, each
township should have a public health
nurse the report recommends.
PROVISION MADE FOR
COUNTY SCHOOL NURSE.
The Parent-Teacher Associations in
Marion County" continues the report,
which are affiliated with the National
Parent-Teacher Association, realized that
II they were TO carry out successfully
the health program outlined by the ma
ronal body, a county school nurse was
the one thing they must have. There
lore, a petition was sent by this organ
lzat1on to the county commissioners ask
Ing that such a position be created.
With this recommendation from the com
mlss1oners, the county council made the
necessary appropriation and agreed that
! the county school nurse was to be under
the supervision OF the county health com
missioner. county commissioners and
county superintendent of schools.
"On Jan. u, 1920, Miss Mary Chris
uan was employed as the first county
school nurse. Her duties were to visit
ali the schools in the county outside the
city limits, to make a thorough physical
examination of all the pupils and TO re-
port TO the parents any physical defects
and symptoms Of contagious diseases
with a recommendation that the child
be taken to the family physician for fur
Their examination and treatment.
TERRITORY
DIVIDED.
In May, 1870. Miss Florence Waltz
was employed by the Marion County
tuberculosis Association, to assist Miss
Gertrude Ludwig OF the Out-patient de-
partment of Sunnyside Sanatorium, in
the fOllOw-up work of the sanatOrium,
because IL was impossible for the one
nurse TO take care of the increasing
amount Of work. During the summer il
was discovered by this new tuberculosis
nurse and the county school nurse that
they were duplicating each others work
as both were trying to cover the same
large territory, and they agreed that If
the territory was divided there would
be less distance TO travel and more could
be accomplished.
eat a meeting Of the county commits
stoners in September. 1920, an agreement
was made between the commissioners
and the tuberculosis association to di-
vide the county in two sections, the ma
tional road being the dividing line, the
county school nurse taking the south
half OF the county and the nurse en-
ployed by the tuberculosis association
taking the north half Shortly after the
appointment of Miss Christian il was
found that il would be impossible for
one nurse to properly supervise the
health Of the children in fifty rural
schools as 1t was not possible TO reach
all Of these schools in one school year.
This new plan gave each nurse the super
TisOn OF about twenty-five schools and
her home visits in the interest of the
children found to have physical defects
and Of tuberculosis patients.
In January, 1921. Miss Christian re-
signed and was succeeded by Miss Hope
Fuller, previously employed by the city
board OF health IN the city tuberculosis
clinic"
RECORD
OF WORK
The report shows that for the time
covered in the report that a total Of
1924 children were examined. also that
more than 10000 notices were sent to
parents regarding the physical defects OF
L4NlE EullAlIEA u LUld4 OIL 90 nome FlslLs
We're made and a number of children re
moved to the hospitals. The nurses also
made a number Of public health talks and
weighed and measured 1,1S1 children.
Health supervision in the schools in
cludes more than finding the defects
in school children" the report continues.
'In some cases all that is necessary TO
get the defect corrected is the formal
notice which the nurse sends to the
parent. Many children have had tonsils
and adenOids removed, defective teeth
corrected and secured glasses, while
others are waiting until the summer
vacation. Unfortunately there are some
parents who do not comply with the
nurses recommendation, then 1t is
necessary for her TO make home visits
before the desired result is accomplished.
Frequently the family is not in a
financial condition TO take care OF the
( added expense Of sending their children
{ TO the hospital In order to take care