Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-10-03
STURDY, HEALTHY
CHILD MAKES THE
BEST STUDENT
Therefore, Health Of Chill
dren Should Be Carefully
Safeguarded.
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE
CAN HELP DO THIS

Recent scientific studies have shown
that the sturdy, healthy child makes
the best all-round student. 1t is there
fore, good economy for Boards of
Education, as we'll as individuals, to
take all possible. measures to safe
guard the health of school children.
Prominent among these safeguards is
the work Of the public health nurse.
Asked to outline the work Of the
nurses in the schools, Miss c. Ethel
Monroe, Advisory Nurse for the State
Department Of Health, said-"the
school work, like all other public
health activities in the counties, is di-
rected by the Deputy State Health Of
fcer. Under his direction, the nurse
visits each school in her district, and
makes preliminary inspection of
the children to be examined, prepara-
tory to the examination to be given by
the doctor. In this inspection, each
child is weighed and measured, and
his hearing and vision are tested. The
nurse looks for the scar of a success
full vaccination against smallpox, and
inspects the child's scalp for vermin.
A card, which serves as permanent
health record, is made out for each
child, giving name, age, home ad-
dress, name Of parent or guardian,
and the results of the test.
When the health officer, or the doc
tor who is acting for. him, visits the
school to make the physical examine
ton Of the children, the nurse is pres
ent to assist. If conferences are ar
ranged between the health officer and
the parents Of the children who are
found to have physical defectss, the
nurse is present at these conferences.
Her most important duty however, is
found in the follow-up visits to the
homes of these children, where she
urges the parents to take the neces-
sary steps for the correction of the
defects found. If an operation is rec
commended by the family physician
Ito whom the health officer invariably
refers the child needing care), the
nurse helps to make the necessary
arrangements for the child's hospital
ization. It will be interesting to note
that a very large part of the work
done by the nurses during the last
summer, has been among the children,
the nurses trying to get them in good
physical condition to start the school
year.
"The nurses duties in the school do
not end with this. Of equal import
ance is the work she is called upon to
dc in assisting in the control of COM
municable diseases. When an out
break threatens, with the approval Of
the school authorities, and under the
direction Of the Deputy State Health
Officer, she visits the school each day,
and inspects the children, sending
home those whose present suspicious
symptoms, recommending that the
parents place these children under the
supervision of their family physicians.
She follows this up by visits to the
homes to explain the reasons for the
action taken, and to enlist the cooper
alton Of the members of the various
households in carrying out the pre-
cautions against the spread of the dis
eases recommended by the State De-
partment of Health.
"In addition, the nurse often gives
assistance to the teachers in their
classroom work on health, providing
them with suitable literature, and 9TH
err material. Very often too, her work
includes courses in home hygiene and
care Of the sick-these courses usually
being given to the high school girls.
sowing to the distances that many
of the nurses are required to cover, it
is not possible for them to carry on
all Of these activities in detail, in ad-
dition to their other work. The above
however, is the general plan recon-
mended, and our hope is for a suffi-
GENTLY large staff Of nurses, Ito be
supported locally) to make possible a
well developed service in all counties"