Seventh Schedule., The Nurses Rules

SIERRA LEONE NURSES' BOARD QUALIFYING EXAMINATION. Syllabus for the qualifying examination in Health Visiting (or Community Nursing). Notes for consideration. Lectures-as outlined in the Report of the Committee on the Training of Nurses for the Colonies. 1. Social Science: Various forms of a social structure in Sierra Leone. Tribal structure and customs, and organisation and development of Local Government, Chiefs, Paramount Chiefs, District Councils, Town Councils. The different history and development of the Colony, with present evolution of Freetown City Council and District Councils. The place of Local Government in public health. The structure and fu_nction of the Central Government and the evolution of the present constitution. The function of Ministries and Government departments, their S.L.-Vor,. VII-18* r. 64. (b). 1148 Cap. 152] Nurses relation to local Government bodies. Voluntary Organisations-Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Red Cross, etc., and their place. 2. Medical and Nursing Organisation and Policy: The organisation of· the Medical Department and its relation to Local Government bodies. The place and role of the Health Visitor (Community Nurse). The Public Health Ordinance, the Registration of Births and Deaths Ordinance, the collection of statistics and the registration of births and deaths and their importance. Notification of diseases; the major health problems and the nurses' part in solving them. 3. Methods of Organisation: The nurse's responsibility in the organisation and administration of clinics, dispensaries, health centres and school nursing; record-keeping, filing and indexing; care of stores and book-keeping. 4. Hygiene and Sanitation: Personal, domestic and community hygiene; maintenance of healthy conditions in the home and environment; light and ventilation in the home; • water supply; disposal of refuse and excreta; prevention of breeding of insect and other carriers of disease; the work of Sanitary Inspectors and Medical Officers of Health. 5. Nutrition and Dietetics: Food requirements of different groups, e.g., age, sex, occupation, local foods and their nutritive value; the purchasing, storing, preparing and cooking of foods; the planning of family food budgets. Food in health and in disease. Malnutrition and effects of various deficiencies; methods of detecting, treating and preventing these. 6. Maternity and Child Welfare: Revision of the study of pregnancy and the puerrium and of the requirements of mothers, infants and children. The organisation of a maternity and child welfare service; the duties of community nurse in this service. Ante-natal hygiene; diet, exercise, rest, and minor ailments and their relief; prevention and early recognition of disorders of pregnancy. Post natal hygiene; general care of nursing mothers; breast feeding; types of disability liable to follow childbirth; their prevention and treatment. Infant and child hygiene. Development of the normal child. GenBral care and training of infants and children, with special attention to diet. Care of the premature infant. Recognition of signs of ill-health in children; their causes, prevention and treatment; the nursing care of sick children in their homes. 7. Work of the Health Visitor (Community Nurse) in Schools, Clinics and Health Centres: The Nurse's duties in the school, and the school clinic as a link between home and school; enlisting parent's and teacher's co-operation in this work; the hygiene of schools. The importance and significance of vaccination against smallpox, yellow fever, and other infectious diseases, and Tuberculin testing and vaccination with B.C.G. The work of the Health Centre in rural :,. areas as a centre for treatment and prevention of disease a~~ promotion of health, its proper development as a centre for all health act1v1t1es. 8. Health Education: :Methods of teaching healthy living suitable for the home, and clinic, in schools and in groups; means of enlisting the interest and co-operation of the people in raising health standards; the nurse's co-operation with organisations such as women's societies and mass education committees, etc., the importance of practical demonstration in health education. 9. Home Visiting and Home Nursing: The Nurse's role as friendly adviser in the home; detection of early signs of symptoms of disease; advice as to how to obtain treatment; the methods of giving first-aid and simple nursing treatment suited to home conditions; various emergencies and how to deal with them; advising how to improve the living conditions in the home. PRACTICAL WORK. The course to be mainly practical and a considerable proportion of the practical experience must be obtained in rural areas. This suggested syllabus is all to be taken under the supervision of a Nursing Sister or Medical Officer. Each item should occupy one month of the nine months' course. 1. Experience in an urban Health Office (probably Freetown). Visiting contacts of infectious diseases in their homes; reporting on home conditions with the Sanitary Inspector. Following up contacts, etc., and ensuring that they report for treatment. Simple advice to contacts of different diseases. The practice of vaccination against smallpox and its importance. 2. Brief periods of attachment to or visits to an Urban Municipality (e.g. Freetown City Council) and a country District Council to study the function of these bodies. Attachment to Social Welfare Department. Attachment to the office of the Registrar of Births and Deaths to study registration and records and the calculation of statistical rates. 3. Attachment to the Government Medical Stores for practical instruction in storekeeping, the proper requisitioning and accounting of stores, and the care of stores. Attachment to Matron. or Sister for practical experience of record keeping. Attachment to Government Clerical School for instruction in correspondence, filing, records, etc. 4. Attachment to Infant Welfare Clinic with attendance at the clinic with home-visiting, reporting on home conditions, and advice in the home to mothers. Home visiting to be done in the company of an experienced nurse or visitor who can instruct on advice to be given. Practice of vaccination against smallpox. 5. Experience in School Clinic. Treatment of minor ailments. Practice of vaccination against smallpox. Tuberculin testing and reading of tests. Assistance at B.C.G. vaccinations. Visiting schools, visiting homes, advice on health and reporting on hygiene of schools. 6. Experience in a rural type Health Centre. Attendance at clinics in the centre and treatment of minor complaints. Supervision of Maternity Attendants, organisation of Maternity and Infant Welfare Clinics. Instruction of mothers in dietetics and the proper weaning and feeding of children and feeding of expectant mothers. Home visiting, treatment of minor ailments in the home. r. 46 (c). r. 46 (rl). 1'. 46 (e). 7. While attached to rural Health Centre, to undertake health survey of a village in co-operation with Sanitary Inspector, and then to draw up a practical scheme of simple measures required to remedy defects found and submit to Medical Officer of health and local authority. 8 and 9. On instructions from the Medical Officer of Health to carry out or advise on the performance of any simple measures proposed as a result of the Health Survey e.g., simple sanitary convenience, protection of water, cleanliness of houses and compounds, vaccination of unvaccinated children. Clean cooking and the preparation of proper meals for children with the food available. Persuading pregnant women to attend A_nte-Natal 4 clinics, etc.