I was a member of the York Region Board of Health thirty years ago. Chairman of The Board during my second term. The Medical Officer of Health initiated a conversation about the nursing function at that time. He provided a history of the service.
The various workshops referenced seemed pretty much like a make-work program to me even then.
A teacher friend talked about nurses visiting the schools and said it was pretty much of a mystery what they were doing there.
In the blog we've heard about a nurse visiting when a new baby came home. But not again. And another coming to the door but no further. Not much meat there.
Nowadays, new mothers and babies get pretty much all the service they need from the family doctor or midwife ,whichever is their choice.
When I had my chat with the MOH ,he said the nurses thought they should receive higher pay than hospital nurses because they had additional certification. And they should have teachers' vacations.
I didn't see anything on the copy from the Public Health Nurses web site that threw any light on
their function It was just a stream of service-sounding verbiage creating the impression of a function.
I thought somebody ought to see them about in the community and have an idea of what they're doing.
The Public Health Board is financed ,in the main and regulated by the Province but operated by York Region.
One wonders what does happen when a service is no longer required?
When it's a shared responsibility , who does make the decision to terminate?
Or not?
Anyway. I got a positive answer to my question about an elusive sighting on Friday.
You know we have a Trails Advisory Committee. Which, by the way , has come to believe that without trails, the human race cannot possibly survive.
Because of the connection to the outdoors and healthy living, the Region apparently asked the committee if they would like a public health nurse to attend their meetings.
They said yes.
So now a public health nurse sits in on four hour long committee meetings.
Four hours is half a day's work with half a day's pay , complete with benefits.
They may be doing the same thing in every municipality. There are nine.
Four hours is half a day's work with half a day's pay , complete with benefits.
They may be doing the same thing in every municipality. There are nine.
She never speaks. Has nothing to say about trails. Just takes her place at the table and stays there .
I am a Councillor and I would not have known that unless I asked a question on the remote chance there would be an answer.
Now, we have all heard about the overwhelming cost of the health care system.
Seniors in the main are held responsible
I wonder if there's a web site to tell us the cost for nurses to sit in on meetings with such an esoteric connection to health and well being.
Don't forget, it was the Region that sought out he opportunity to occu
Hey, If this Council & the Trails Committee are dumb enough to let her sit there without contributing anything, she is going to be smart enough to occupy that chair. But it is funny in a dreadful way.
ReplyDeleteResident birds never notice the cuckoos in their nests. But they feed them to the detriment of their own families.
ReplyDeleteYou would appear to have landed a lively one. you probably should include travel expenses. it is highly unlikely that an Aurora resident has this cushy job. but then stranger things have happened. who signs off on that woman's pay cheque? parks & recreation ?
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ReplyDeleteDoes anyone out there know that Aurora has a Trail Master Plan.
Does anyone out there know that Aurora is a member of the Nokiidaa Trail Committee, along with Newmarket and East Gwillimbury?
The objective of this latter is to investigate the possibilities of building a walking trail from Aurora to Lake Simcoe. There is a time reference to this of fifty years.
If the Trails Advisory Committee is entitled to a public health nurse to sit in silent attendance, would that mean two nurses in attendance whenever the Trail Master Plan is being considered? What about when the Nokiidaa Trail Committee meets, two nurses, a doctor and an EMO vehicle in attendance?
Surely the two councillors who sit on the Trails Advisory Committee have the intelligence to tell the public health nurse that his/her services are really not required and that his/her talents would be better used elsewhere?
Or do they not have this intelligence?
That's got to cost quite a bit more than a case of beer. But I suspect it won't become a ' scandal ' if Gallo is heading up the committee with Ballard riding shot gun.
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ReplyDelete4-year old boy gets re-elected mayor in Dorset, Minnesota.
Wonder who manages his campaign?
So, is it the fault of the Public Health Nurse that she was instructed to sit on the committee?
ReplyDeleteIs this any different than having other support staff sit on committees?
I would think that Public Health is perhaps concerned with potential accidents or health issues that may occur on a trail.
What is the protocol if someone (let's say a senior) is on a trail in Aurora and trips and breaks a hip?
9:21
ReplyDeleteI saw no fault being assigned other than stupidity & that certainly was not directed at the nurse. Sometimes your boat seems to leave the dock far too early.
Canada Politics
ReplyDeleteAndy Radia
" With Wallin expense audit complete, Senator Mac Harb could be in more hot water "
And, yeah, I know it's off-topic.
Margaret Wente has an interesting article today that clearly shows the growing divide, coming abyss.
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