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HEALTH VISITING AND SCHOOL NURSING
Staff Changes
Miss D. Gordon died 17th January 1961
Miss B. M. Long appointed 1st May 1961.
Miss M. Stewart retired 1st June, 1961, now living in Canterbury.
Mrs. P. Broad appointed 1st September, 1961.
Mrs. F. Jacobsen transferred from Hornchurch area 9th October, 1961
Mrs. H. Pettit resigned 21st December, 1961 and is living in Oxford.
Health Visiting
Health has been defined as "the well-being of a person, physical, mental, social and
environmental." The work of the Health Visitor, embracing as it does the whole family,
must inevitably deepen and widen, as the implications of this definition are more fully
understood and implemented.
The duties of a Health Visitor involve the care of expectant and nursing mothers
and young children; school children through the School Health Service; the prevention
of disease; the giving of advice as to the care of persons suffering from illness (including
mental illness), the needs of the young physically and mentally handicapped and the aged.
She may be required to give after-care to those receiving treatment for venereal disease,
and has a big part to play in Health Education.
To fulfil such a programme and to give adequate pertinent advice, continuing
education is needful. During the year, residential refresher courses were attended by
Health Visitors and School Nurses, as well as other inservice training and lectures.
The trend has been towards a closer study of factors underlying ill-health and social
breakdown.
In October several Health Visitors attended the symposium arranged by the Royal
College of Nursing and the College of General Practitioners, to consider the role of the
Health Visitor in General Practice. As there is a common purpose and common ground,
closer liaison is desirable and some interesting experiments were discussed.
Regular paediatric hospital visiting continues to be of mutual benefit. A growing
demand for ante-natal preparation classes with parentcraft is apparent, and talks have
been given to voluntary organisations.
The Health Visitors have assisted in the tuition of health visitor students and groups
of district nurses. Nursing students from Oldchurch Hospital have been received for
environmental experience.
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