(a) Make visits to beneficiaries pending hospitalisation, or after being
discharged from hospital, while in training, particularly those said to
be absent from training on account of illness, reporting results of
investigations to the local medical officer. If an emergency arises the
claimant should be sent immediately to a designated physician, if too
ill to report to a physician, a physician in the employ of the Bureau
will be notified of the name and address of the patient and requested
call. A report on each case will be made to the nearest local office,
together with recommendations and a statement of any action that has
been taken. If Claimant’s absence from training was not due to illness
that fact will be communicated to the local Bureau authority.
(b) Report on every case assigned to her and render subsequent reports
on such cases as may be required from time to time; to make supplemental
reports from time to time as may be necessary. Such reports will be made
on Medical E, or other designated form, and will have for their object
the discovery of present results of service disabilities, intercurrent
ailments, or physical conditions which are preventing the physical
rehabilitation of the man. The attention of the District or local
medical officer will be called to any seemingly improper conditions, and
recommendations will be made looking to their correction. Subsequent
reports will show whether or not these conditions have been remedied.
For the purpose of reducing the number of visits that are required the
claimant will be induced to call at the office if practicable.
(c) When calling at the home of a patient the nurse will notice the
sanitary conditions of the home, particular attention being given to
plumbing, adequacy of rooms, air space per capita, light, heat, bathing
facilities, number of flights of stairs necessary to reach quarters,
etc. Information as to how long claimant has lived there and if he has
made frequent changes of residence. Recommendations will be made for
improvement of conditions which appear to be prejudicial to the health
of the men and his _family_ and an earnest endeavor will be made to have
them corrected. In case the _family_ of a beneficiary needs medical
treatment or other attention the social worker or in her absence the Red
Cross or other Co-operating agency will be notified.
(d) Reports on Medical G, or other designated form, will be made on
cases that break down in training, indicating when possible the cause of
the interruption of training, whether the same is actually due to a
reactivation of the original disability, to an intercurrent condition,
or to extrinsic causes connected with training, work, or living
conditions. Medical Form G, or other designated form, will be forwarded
through proper channels to the District Medical Officer or his nearest
representative.
(e) To visit at stated intervals all cases in localities in which there
are not county nurses, and to endeavor to obtain contact occasionally
with county nurses, where such are on duty, with a view of keeping them
informed of conditions for the best interest of the ex-service man.
(f) Field notes on all of the above duties will be conveniently kept on
Assignment Memorandum Form 701, or other form that may be designated
hereafter.
5. It is not the function of the nurses to supervise Vocational
Training. She is not to intimate to the beneficiary any doubt as to
whether he is assigned to the proper course, or whether institutional or
job training is best suited to his needs, but any suggestions she can
give to the Training Officer in regard to the man’s attitude towards his
training, will be helpful in his rehabilitation. Nurses will not call
men away from their work for the purpose of interviewing them, unless by
special arrangement, suggested by the Training Officer.
6. In territory where a nurse and a Social Service worker are both on
duty, the nurse is not to attempt to investigate social conditions or
make recommendations for rectifying them, if unsatisfactory conditions
are found. _Per contra_ the Social Service worker is not to assume the
work of the nurse in investigating conditions affecting the health of
the beneficiaries. Emergency cases will arise where it will be obviously
advantageous to the interests of the beneficiaries for whether a nurse
or a Social Service worker to take immediate action on a matter not
strictly within her province, but when this has to be done the other
should be at once notified of the circumstances.
7. Nurses will not be expected to assist in special nursing except in
training centers, or in temporary emergencies when it is impossible to
hospitalize claimants, or where there is no person available to give
instruction in home nursing.
C. R. FORBES,
Director, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.