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106
The Work of the School Nurse and the Procedure
known as "Following Up."
The School Nurse also acts as Health Visitor and this
arrangement has many advantages.
Respecting her duties as School Nurse, these may be
classified as follows:—
1st.—She attends with the Medical Officer at the schools
at the routine medical inspection. 2nd.—She examines the
children of certain classes periodically for uncleanliness,
presence of ringworm, and other parasitic skin diseases. She
takes specimens of hair for examination in doubtful cases in
order to have them submitted to microscopical examination.
Any matter of doubt or difficulty is referred to the Medical
Officer. 3rd.—She visits the parents at home whose
children have been found to be suffering from physical or
mental defects in order to point out the advisability of
obtaining further treatment. She is also able to bxing
pressure to bear upon obdurate parents, and to obtain further
family history where necessary. 4th.—The School Nurse is
frequently requested to undertake some special investigation,
and by this means is often able to prepare the ground for
more detailed investigation by the Medical Officer.
The duty of properly "following up" cases is one of great
importance, and requires a good deal of tact and judgment.
If a parent persists in neglecting to obtain advice or treatment
for some obvious defect, a letter is sent to the father
threatening legal proceedings under the Children Act, if some
step is not taken to remedy the matter.
The Nurse keeps a diary of all the work undertaken, and
a "following up" book is prepared for each school.