Public Health Nurse Procedures



DESCRIPTION

This is a visit to the aged (above 65 years) in his/her home environment to render service based on their health needs. E.g., physical, psychological, social and emotional needs.

AIMS

  1. Identify and manage individual challenges
  2. Maximize older person’s ability to remain independent and render their continuous contribution to society
  3. Assess and prevent potential risk factors

TYPES

  1. Routine
  2. Special

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made by the Public/Community health nurse to a diabetic client at home. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition that needs constant monitoring and supervision.

AIMS

  1. Provide continuous care to client and family
  2. Counsel/educate client and family on management of the condition
  3. Prevent complications
  4. Encourage lifestyle modification including diet, exercise, alcohol intake etc.

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a special/routine home visit conducted by the Public/Community health nurse to parents or caregivers of a malnourished child at home.

AIMS

  1. Ascertain the state of malnutrition
  2. Counsel and teach mother on appropriate nutrition
  3. Refer for further management
  4. Encourage caregiver on regular visit to the Child Welfare Clinic (CWC)

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a home visit made by the Public/Community health nurse to a mother or caregiver with a pre-term baby.

AIMS

  1. Counsel mother on hygienic care of the baby to prevent infections
  2. Teach mother on proper positioning and attachment to breast during feeding to increase warmth and promote growth
  3. Detect infant abnormal health issues for prompt attention
  4. Monitor the growth and development of the baby
  5. Boost mother’s confidence in caring for baby
  6. Assess the home environment to identify potential health hazards
  7. Support and encourage mother to practice Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made by the Public/Community health nurse to a client with tuberculosis in the home.

AIMS

  1. Ensure client’s adherence to prescribed medication
  2. Educate client on coughing etiquette
  3. Provide support for clients and their relatives or caregivers to prevent lapses in treatment
  4. Counsel clients and relatives on good nutrition and personal hygiene
  5. Conduct contact tracing to prevent spread of tuberculosis to other people
  6. Detect early infection for treatment
  7. Prevent opportunistic infections, disability and risk of death
  8. Reduce stigmatization

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a special visit made by the Public/Community health nurse to a client living with HIV/AIDS at home.

AIMS

  1. Counsel client on adherence to prescribed medication to prevent drug resistance
  2. Counsel and educate client and family on personal hygiene and adequate nutrition to improve immune system
  3. Provide support for clients and their relatives or caregivers to prevent lapses in treatment
  4. Prevent opportunistic infections, disability and risk of death
  5. Reduce stigmatization
  6. Ensure continuity of care
  7. Counsel client and family on sexual habit
  8. Ensure proper infection prevention practices in the care of the client
  9. Liaise for support from available social systems

TYPES

  1. N/A

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made by the Public/Community health nurse to a pregnant woman at home.

AIMS

  1. Monitor and supervise foetal growth and maternal wellbeing
  2. Detect pregnancy related conditions for immediate intervention
  3. Counsel and educate the mother on birth preparedness plan
  4. Ensure compliance to antenatal visits
  5. Educate client on stress management
  6. Counsel and educate client and husband on sexual activities
  7. Encourage partner and family support
  8. Encourage client to take her routine medications
  9. Encourage client to report any abnormality for prompt intervention

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made by the Public /Community health nurse to a hypertensive client at home.

AIMS

  1. Provide continuous care to client and family
  2. Counsel/educate client and family on management of the condition
  3. Counsel client on adherence to treatment to prevent complications
  4. Encourage lifestyle modification including diet, exercise, alcohol intake etc.

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made to a client with leprosy by the Public/Community health nurse in his/her home.

AIMS

  1. Educate client and family on how to manage the condition at home
  2. Counsel client and family to avoid social isolation, stigma and misconceptions about the condition
  3. Encourage client to adhere to treatment therapy
  4. Support client to be able to live an independent life

TYPES

  1. Selective
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit to a client with elephantiasis by the Public/Community health nurse in his/her home.

AIMS

  1. Encourage client to do daily washing and drying of affected parts to prevent acute attacks, reduce unpleasant odour and heal entry lesions
  2. Counsel client and family to avoid social isolation, stigma and misconceptions about the condition
  3. Encourage client to adhere to treatment therapy
  4. Support client to live an independent life

TYPES

  1. Selective
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit to a client with buruli ulcer by the Public/Community health nurse in his/her home.

AIMS

  1. Counsel client and family on social isolation, stigma and misconceptions about the condition
  2. Encourage client to adhere to treatment regimen
  3. Support client to live an independent life
  4. Encourage daily wound dressing at the nearest health facility
  5. Encourage client to do daily washing and drying of affected parts to prevent acute attacks, reduce unpleasant odour and heal entry lesions
  6. Encourage physiotherapy

TYPES

  1. Selective
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made by the Public/Community health nurse to a CVA client at his/her home.

AIMS

  1. Provide continuous care to client and family
  2. Counsel/educate client and family on management of the condition
  3. Counsel client on diet modification and adherence to treatment
  4. Sensitize client and family on rehabilitation (speech and physiotherapy)

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made by the Public/Community health nurse to a client with Yaws in his/her home.

AIMS

  1. Educate client and family on how to manage the condition at home
  2. Encourage client and family to adhere to treatment i.e. dressing of ulcers
  3. Educate client and family on adequate nutrition
  4. Encourage client and family on follow up visit
  5. Educate client on personal and environmental hygiene

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit to a client with epilepsy by the Public/Community health nurse in his/her home.

AIMS

  1. Counsel client and family on situations that trigger attack and signs of imminent seizures
  2. Encourage client and family to honour follow up visits and adhere to prescribed medication
  3. Counsel client and family on social isolation, stigma and misconceptions about the condition
  4. Educate client and family on safety measures

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit to a client with mental disorder by the Public/Community health nurse in the home.

AIMS

  1. Assess progress of health and continuity of treatment
  2. Assist client to live an independent life and contribute to society
  3. Encourage client and family to honour follow up visits and adhere to prescribed medication
  4. Counsel client and family on social isolation, stigma and misconceptions about the condition

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is a visit made to a motherless baby and the caregiver by the Public/Community health nurse at home.

AIMS

  1. Counsel caregiver on hygienic care of the baby to prevent infections
  2. Teach caregiver on proper feeding to increase warmth, promote growth and development
  3. Detect any deviation from normal for prompt attention
  4. Encourage caregiver to attend CWC regularly

TYPES

  1. Special
  2. Routine

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity usually carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC to promote the growth and development of children.

AIMS

  1. Enable mothers and caregivers learn basic guidelines for proper care of their children and families
  2. Discuss benefits of optimal behaviours and how to overcome challenges to these practices
  3. Sensitize and educate mothers and caregivers on issues that affect the health of children

TYPES

  1. N/A

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse to record the biodata of the child during the first visit.

AIMS

  1. Serves as a baseline to monitor the growth and development of a child
  2. Keep records of clients for future reference
  3. Trace defaulters
  4. Promote continuity of care
  5. Maintain data for health planning

TYPES

  1. 0-11 months
  2. 12-23 months
  3. 24-59 months

DESCRIPTION

This activity is organized for monitoring and supervising the growth and development of children from birth to five (5) years.

AIMS

  1. Identify any deviation from normal and offer corrective action/intervention
  2. Ensure child’s growth is in accordance with the standard developmental grid
  3. Improve on nutrition and reduce risk of death
  4. Assess the child and refer for further management where necessary

TYPES

  1. N/A

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the baby is assessed physically from head to toe.

AIMS

  1. Identify and confirm any abnormalities on the baby for intervention
  2. Inform mother/caregiver on findings on the baby and counsel accordingly
  3. Refer baby to appropriate service delivery centre when the need arises
  4. Educate and give parental reassurance

TYPES

  1. N/A

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the nurse gives oral vaccines to the baby to produce immunity. Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent poliomyelitis. Oral polio vaccine is given in four divided doses at birth, 6weeks, 10weeks and 14weeks.

AIMS

  1. Prevent children under five (5) or 0-59 months from poliomyelitis
  2. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  3. Educate mothers and caregivers on high level of proper personal and environmental hygiene
  4. Educate mothers/caregivers on proper food hygiene

TYPES

  1. Oral

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the nurse gives polio vaccine to a child to produce immunity. IPV is an injectable polio vaccine given at 14weeks.

AIMS

  1. Prevent children under five (5) or 0-59 months from poliomyelitis
  2. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  3. Educate mothers and caregivers on high level of proper personal and environmental hygiene
  4. Educate mothers/caregivers on proper food hygiene

TYPES

  1. Injectable

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the nurse gives oral vaccines to a child to produce immunity against diarrhoea.

AIMS

  1. Prevent children under five (5) or 0-59 months from diarrhoea
  2. Decrease the risk of death among young children against diarrhoea
  3. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  4. Educate mothers and caregivers on high level of proper personal and environmental hygiene

TYPES

  1. Oral

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the nurse gives oral vaccines to the baby to produce immunity. Polio vaccine is used to prevent poliomyelitis. IPV is given at 14weeks on the right thigh 2.5cm away from PCV injection site

AIMS

  1. Prevent children under five (5) or 0-59 months from vaccine preventable diseases
  2. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  3. Educate mothers and caregivers on high level of proper personal and environmental hygiene
  4. Educate mothers/caregivers on proper food hygiene

TYPES

  1. Injectable

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the nurse gives oral vaccines to the baby to produce immunity. Rotarix is a life activated vaccine which is given to a child against diarrhoea. It is given in 3 dose schedules to babies at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age.

AIMS

  1. Prevent children under five (5) or 0-59 months from vaccine preventable diseases
  2. Decrease the risk of death among young children against diarrhoea
  3. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  4. Educate mothers and caregivers on high level of proper personal and environmental hygiene

TYPES

  1. Oral

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the nurse gives the vaccine intramuscularly to a child against pneumonia.

AIMS

  1. Protect children under five (5) or 0-59 months from pneumonia
  2. Decrease the risk of death among young children from pneumonia
  3. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  4. Prevent other deadly infections caused by pneumococcal organism

TYPES

  1. Injectable

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC where the nurse gives the vaccine intramuscularly to a child. This is 5-in-1 vaccine which protects the child against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B.

AIMS

  1. Protect children under five (5) or 0-59 months from these vaccine preventable diseases
  2. Decrease the risk of death among young children from these vaccine preventable diseases
  3. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  4. Educate mothers and caregivers on high level of proper personal and environmental hygiene

TYPES

  1. Injectable

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC by given live attenuated vaccine. The live attenuated vaccine is a component of measles/rubella which is given subcutaneously to the child at 9 and 18months respectively.

AIMS

  1. Protect children under five (5) or 0-59 months from measles/rubella
  2. Decrease the risk of death among young children from measles/rubella
  3. Achieve herd immunity amongst children under five (5)
  4. Educate mothers and caregivers to maintain a high level of proper personal and environmental hygiene

TYPES

  1. Injectable

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC to give a live attenuated vaccine (yellow fever) to a child. The vaccine is given as single dose subcutaneously at 9 months or older.

AIMS

  1. Protect children from 9 months and above from yellow fever disease
  2. Achieve herd immunity amongst children from 9 months
  3. Educate mothers and caregivers on the need to immunize their children
  4. Educate mothers and caregivers that yellow fever has no cure hence the need for vaccination

TYPES

  1. Injectable

DESCRIPTION

This is an activity carried out by the Public/Community health nurse at CWC to give a subunit (purified) antigen vaccine (MEN A) as a single dose intramuscularly to a child at 18months or older.

AIMS

  1. Protect children from 18months and above from meningococcal meningitis
  2. Achieve herd immunity amongst children from 18months
  3. Educate mothers and caregivers on the need to immunize their children
  4. Prevent outbreak of the disease

TYPES

  1. Injectable

DESCRIPTION

This is a dialogue between Public/Community health nurse and the mother/caregiver at CWC on obvious findings on the baby and prevailing health issues to make an informed decision.

AIMS

  1. Inform mother/caregiver on findings made on the baby
  2. Present to the mother/caregiver options available to make an informed decision
  3. Create an emotionally safe space and an accepting caring relationship in which the mother/caregiver can explore
  4. Foster cordial relationship between mother/caregiver and health workers

TYPES

  1. N/A