The Public Health Nurse and the Retarded Child (Oklahoma State Dept. of Health, 1960)

This film discusses the role of the public health nurse in relation to the retarded child and his family. This objective is achieved with the aid of clinical subjects, personnel from a clinic for retarded individuals, and public health nurses. Miss Roberts, a public health nurse, becomes aware of a retarded child, Mark, during a routine home visit for an eye check on Mark's older brother. Mark's mother describes him as "slow," and the program discusses simple methods to use in assessing a child's abilities at an early age. Several retarded children are shown at different age levels, performing simple tasks to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of such learning experiences to the child and his/her family. The program then focuses on Miss Roberts' efforts to secure help for Mark. She discusses Mark's case with his family physician and a referral is secured for an evaluation. Scenes are shown of Mark's interview with the psychologist, child development specialist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, and physician. The role of each member is discussed. During the staff meeting in which Mark's case is discussed, the nurse is present to contribute her knowledge of Mark and the family, and is given suggestions to assist her in her handling of the case. In Mark's case, Miss Roberts decided to focus on helping Mark to dress himself. She teaches the mother, who in turn will teach the child. The program stresses the three R's: repetition, relaxation and routine, and demonstrates how to apply these to the child's learning process. The role of the institution for a child who must be hospitalized and the role of the nurse in helping the family adjust to this decision are also discussed. Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/7600933A Learn more about the National Library of Medicine's historical audiovisuals program at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/collectio... #medicalhistory #nursing ‪@oklahomastatedepartmentofh9476‬