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July, 1966. Two had been sponsored by the Borough and one had completed
the integrated course at the Hammersmith Hospital. Two further
student Health Visitors were recruited for the sponsored training scheme
and they commenced their training in September 1966.
Clinic nurses are attached to all clinic centres to relieve the health
visiting staff of the more routine clinic duties and also some of the duties
under the school health service. Their services are extremely useful and
much appreciated.
Training of Health Visitors
The new syllabus for the training of Health Visitors has been used
for the second year and two Senior Health Visitors appointed as Field
Work Instructors have been supervising and training pupil Health Visitors
in the practical skills of health visiting. In order to strengthen this Field
Work Instruction team, a third Health Visitor attended a special 10-day
course at the Chiswick Polytechnic. Student Health Visitors from other
authorities have also been trained in Harrow.
The Senior Health Visitor appointed as Group Adviser has supervised
the young Health Visitors for a period of three months after completion
of their training. She has also been the instructor to groups of nurses who
have visited the area from the Middlesex, Edgware General and Mount
Vernon Hospitals. Discussions have been arranged in the hospitals
following observation visits to the local health authority and the Group
Adviser has attended these discussions as representative and adviser.
One Health Visitor attended a refresher course during the year and
a second Health Visitor completed and passed the examination of a parttime
teaching course arranged and conducted throughout the year by the
Health Visitors' Association. All Health Visitors and clinic nurses attended
a successful In-Service training course arranged by the mental health
section to study the subject of mental subnormality.
Preparation for Confinement
Arrangements were made for all the Health Visitors to attend a
series of lectures in relaxation given by the Chief Physiotherapist at
Edgware General Hospital. The aim was to introduce a method of
preparation for childbirth which would be common to hospital and local
health authority clinics and thus avoiding confusion to patients. Two
courses of six lectures were given to the health visiting staff.
Discussion Groups
All Health Visitors attended case discussions in groups of eight once
a month for a period of six months under the guidance of Dr. Tonnesmann,
a Psychiatrist. A particular family or families were used for discussion
in a group situation.