The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-03-18
ROTARY CLUB ADDRESSED
BY COUNTY HEALTH NURSE
Miss King, as Guest of the Or
ganization, Touched Upon the
Duties of Nurse and People

Duties of Nurse and People
Miss Rhesa M. King, public health
nurse of Garrett county, working I'M
der the direction of the State Depart
ment of Health of Maryland, was the
guest of the Oakland Rotary Club on
Friday evening of last week when the
members of that organization assem-
bled for their luncheon at the William
James Hotel.
Miss King, by invitation extended
week previous, addressed the club
on her work in the county and what
she hoped to accomplish and asked for
the cooperation of the club as individ-
uals and body in carrying out her
program. Miss Kings remarks at the
club dinner are given below:
Mr.. President and Members of the
Oakland Rotary Club:
1 stand before you tonight as the
Public Health Nurse of Garrett coun-
ty. = You have all heard of nurses
the graduate nurse the registered
nurse, the trained nurse, and the pub
lie health nurse. Are they all one?
If not, what is the difference? The
graduate, trained or registered nurse
is the same, but the public health
nurse is little more-she is trained
especially to look after the public
health-she is the Public's Health
Nurse.
The nurse as whole looks after
the sick, but a public health nurse
teachers, thru demonstrations, talks
and various ways, means of protect
ing ones self from disease, or in
other words, she teaches prevention.
She does not diagnose cases; she is
not physicians; she does not give
nursing care only on rare occasions,
and then only under the doctors di-
rections. She has variety of duties
though, which usually consists of her
own work as well as every other kind
of work which no one else has time
for.
In the short time l have been in
Garrett county and after having sew
eral conferences with various people,
l feel sure Garrett county has been
completely sold to better health.
came at a bad time of the year, as
there will be only about three months
more of school and the roads are bad
now, but with patience and doing
what | can here in Oakland l will try
and do the best / can until the roads
open up. am a firm believer that the
way to parents heart is thru the
child; therefore, l am planning to
start my work in the schools. We all
know the child of today is the adult
of tomorrow and the health of the
child today, to a very large extent,
determines the health of the future
adult. Most of us know that good
health habits the year. around does
more to keep the body in healthy
condition than any thing else. A
balanced diet, including milk, fruit
and at least one leafy vegetable daily,
regular hours of sleep with windows
open, plenty of outdoos exercise and
attention to posture.
My plans are to do as many physi-
cal examinations of school children as
possible from now on until school
closes; also getting into as many
homes as | can, offering my assistance
wherever it is needed and in general
getting acquainted and making my
self known.
Perhaps you do not know what
mean by giving a physical eXamina-
ton. Please remember we nurses are
not doctors, therefore we do not dag
nose cases, but we do call attention to
conditions we think a doctor should
be consulted about. The physical ex-
animation consists of a preliminary
examination of eyes, ears, teeth, nose
throat, skin, enlarged glands, posture
and whether the child is under weight,
according to the average child. If
cndition is found which we consider
doctors attention should be called
to, note is sent home to the parent
telling of this existing condition, and
IN as many cases as possible home
call is made to see why the correction
has not been made. Oftentimes the
reasons are: a.. He has always been
that way, therefore he must continue
to go thru life that way; (2), his
grandfather or grandmother were al
ways that way, therefore every gener-
alton following must go thru life in
liic SAINT COIlUlIlOIl, anu various OCner
reasons like that. Then we come to
the one big reason: Wanting to con-
suit the doctor and wanting to have
the correction made, but because of
financial conditions, cannot. We
nurses try and find way to make it
possible to have these corrections
made if an investigation is made and
conditions are found that it is impos-
sible for the parents to take care of it.
l do not believe in giving and Civ
ing. Don't misunderstood me, please.
| do believe in charity to a certain
extent but not to the extent that you
will pauperize your people. They
should be made to understand that
they should try and be self-support-
ing. and if you ask me l think you
need a good-please understand me
a good social worker. Some center
to direct your charity work from or
you are going on and on and your
county is going to keep on being pau
perized.
| understand this county gives free
ly to the Near East Relief fund, a
very worthy cause, | am sure, but
where in, this wide, wide world is
there someone collecting funds to
send to help the poor of Garrett coun-
ty? and you have plenty of them, too.
oh yity oh o,,1J Looe;Y, Lo,,,o