SUPERVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING
There shall be a sufficient number of supervisors of Occupational Therapy and Pre-Vocational Training employed and placed on Central Office payroll to properly supervise the work in all districts. Their duties shall be to supervise the work under the direction of Central Office, to keep Central Office fully advised as to the condition of the work and the needs of each reconstruction center they visit, and to recommend any changes in personnel, giving reasons for recommendations.
There shall be a medical officer skilled in Physiotherapy designated as Chief of Physiotherapy for each district. He may be a part-time or a full-time man, as the necessity requires. His duty shall be to supervise and direct the installation of the equipment in the District and Sub-District Offices, and, upon request from Central Office, to visit and report upon the work in any hospital in his district. His line of communication will be through the District Medical Officer and the District Manager to Central Office; and Central Office’s line of communication will be to the District Manager—Attention, Chief of Physiotherapy.
Field Order No. 18 covers the entire matter of Follow-Up Nursing.
C. R. Forbes.Director, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.
C. R. Forbes.Director, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.
C. R. Forbes.Director, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.
EXHIBIT C
File No.
U.S. VETERANS’ BUREAUOctober 19, 1921.
U.S. VETERANS’ BUREAUOctober 19, 1921.
U.S. VETERANS’ BUREAUOctober 19, 1921.
FIELD ORDER NO.18
FIELD ORDER NO.18
FIELD ORDER NO.18
The following Field Order is hereby promulgated, effective this date, for observance by all officers and employees in the District Offices of the United States Veterans’ Bureau:
All appointments will be made by the U. S. Veterans’ Bureau on the recommendation of the District Medical Officer with the approval of the District Manager under the regulations of the U. S. Civil Service Commission. Preference will be given to nurses who have had at least three years’ general nursing experience outside of an institution, particularly to those who have had experience in tuberculosis, neuropsychiatric and Public Health Welfare nursing.
Nurses on duty in the districts will be carried on the District pay-rolls and will be responsible to the Chief Nurse of the District, who in turn will be responsible to the District Medical Officer under the District Manager. The work of all nurses in the various districts not on duty in hospitals will be directly supervised by the District Medical Officer who will be responsible through the District manager to the Medical Division; U. S. Veterans’ Bureau (Physical Reconstruction Section), to whom communications on matters in connection with their work should be addressed.
In each district a Chief Nurse will be appointed by the Central Office of the U. S. Veterans’ Bureau through the Assistant Director in Charge of Medical Division upon the recommendation of the District Medical Officer and with the approval of the District Manager. The duties of the Chief Nurses in the districts will be to superintend the activities of the nurses in their respective districts, to visit the local offices when directed by the District Medical Officer, to inspect the work of the nurses, to co-ordinate the work of the nurses in the districts, sub-districts, and local offices and to check up the nurses’ reports. It will also be the duty of each Chief Nurse, through the District Medical Officer and the District Manager, to keep the Superintendent of Nurses in the Physical Reconstruction Section of the Medical Division, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau, informed of the quality of the work performed by the individual nurses under her direction. Reports of especially good work, orunsatisfactory work, should be sent in detail to the Superintendent of Nurses through the District Medical Officer and the District Manager. The Chief Nurse in each district will instruct nurses under her charge as to the proper form for conducting correspondence and of the channels through which the same will be sent.
(a) To assist Medical Officers of the Districts, whenever there is one at their station, in the care of beneficiaries who may require medical supervision and care.
(b) To keep contact with claimants and refer possible claimants to the proper authorities for the adjustment of their needs.
(c) To conduct medical follow-up work under the immediate direction of the local or sub-district authority where there is no medical officer on duty.
(d) At station where there is a social service worker to refer proper cases to them. If no co-operating social service agency is available the nurses will perform such social service duties as time will permit in addition to their regular duties.
(e) Whenever the address of a beneficiary is found to be incorrect, nurses will report correct addresses to the nearest Bureau Office immediately.
(f) Nurses, when visiting claimants, will give their residence address for emergency calls to each claimant under their care and supervision.
These may be grouped under three heads:
1. For Tuberculosis Claimants:
(a) Ascertain state of health from time to time. Record pulse, temperature, etc., to detect evidence of tuberculous toxemia. Note gain or loss of weight; presence of cough. Amount and character of sputum, etc.
(b) Ascertain their state of morale and that of their families.
(c) Give simple instructions regarding health and appropriate advice from time to time.
(d) Furnish literature of appropriate character when same is available.
(e) Emphasize the value of hospital care for those who become sick from other causes or whose pulmonary condition becomes active.
(f) Report promptly to the nearest medical officer beneficiaries whose condition seems to indicate that hospitalization is necessary.
2. For Neuro-Psychiatric Claimants:
(a) Health instruction and definite advice with regard to home conditions.
(b) Advice and supervision to prevent intemperance, excessive use of tobacco, drugs, etc.
(c) Advice regarding habits, whether married or single.
(d) Note general behavior and mental state, such as stream of talk, mental activity, characteristics of same, such as incoherence, inattention, distractibility, etc.
(e) Note mood of beneficiaries, such as preoccupations, hallucinations, illusions, etc.
(f) Endeavor to obtain insight as to how much the patient realizes the nature of his present condition or of previous illnesses.
(g) Interpret claimant’s condition to his family and instruct them in the necessity for tolerance of claimant’s peculiarities.
3. For Claimants with General Disabilities.
(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 theclaimant 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 hisfamilyand an earnest endeavor will be made to have them corrected. In case thefamilyof 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 contrathe 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.
C. R. FORBES,Director, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.
C. R. FORBES,Director, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.
C. R. FORBES,
Director, U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.
NURSES’ CONSOLIDATED REPORTforNOVEMBER, 1921.SUMMARY
NURSES’ CONSOLIDATED REPORTforNOVEMBER, 1921.SUMMARY
NURSES’ CONSOLIDATED REPORT
for
NOVEMBER, 1921.
SUMMARY
(MRS.) K. C. HOUGH,SUPERINTENDENT OF NURSES.
(MRS.) K. C. HOUGH,SUPERINTENDENT OF NURSES.
(MRS.) K. C. HOUGH,SUPERINTENDENT OF NURSES.
(MRS.) K. C. HOUGH,
SUPERINTENDENT OF NURSES.
EXHIBIT E
RECONSTRUCTION TRAININGSUMMARY BY DISTRICTSJanuary 1, 1922.
RECONSTRUCTION TRAININGSUMMARY BY DISTRICTSJanuary 1, 1922.
RECONSTRUCTION TRAINING
SUMMARY BY DISTRICTS
January 1, 1922.
ADMIRAL STITT: reminded the men that at the meeting yesterday afternoon a motion was made to discuss the paper on the “The Social Service Worker” this morning, and there were about 25 minutes for the discussion of each of the four subjects—the social service worker, disciplinary regulations, relation of district managers, and physiotherapy and occupational therapy in hospitals.
CAPT. BLACKWOOD: said it was his opinion that the social service worker has done more to aid the Commanding Officer and to follow up the work on the ex-service man, as well as the service man, than anything else he knew of that has been introduced into the hospitals. The social service work in the Navy is all done by the Red Cross, one of the most wonderful organizations in the United States for doing good.
SURGEON CHRONQUEST emphasized the point that diversion and recreation should be distinguished from the social service, with which it is so often linked.
SURGEON LASCHE: stated that at first he was sceptical about the introduction of people under extraneous control into the hospital, but that he incorporated the Red Cross into the official organization of the hospital and made the director a member of the staff. He believed in keeping a fairly close supervision over the activities until he knew the individual, and made a rule that the social worker should send a carbon of every letter written about the patients to the officer in charge. It was found that at the beginning there was no possible reason for about 30% of the letters written, but only one-half of one percent of the letters produced harmful results. He said he was inclined to think that owing to the fact that the Red Cross has the benefit of a nation-wide organization that for the present it is very much better to utilize their services than to establish government employees to do the same work.
COL. BRATTON: said that experience had shown him that the Red Cross is a great aid in carrying on relation to the outside world. He told of the situation in Atlanta. When the hospital was established he found it would be necessary to satisfy the people of Atlanta that the wounded boys were being properly taken care of, and was fortunate to secure the services of a first-class man from the Red Cross. The result was that the people became very interested in the work and sent committees with food, also provided pictures two or three times a week and all kinds of entertainment.
SURGEON PAYNE stated that one of the greatest difficulties he had experienced had been in sidetracking the people who, though kindly disposed, brought food and all kinds of entertainment which were injurious to the patients. He said he did not believe in any kind of athletics in a hospital, unless under the Physiotherapy Department, neither did he believe in dances in a hospital. He said people would bring in all kinds of food and the patients would eat it beforegoing to mess, and then of course would complain of the hospital food furnished. The greatest benefit from the Red Cross had been the coordination of those activities.
COL. BRATTON asked that some of the men who served in General Hospital #6 speak on this subject.
SURGEON WILLHITE: stated he had served under Colonel Bratton, and agreed heartily with all he had said. He stated also that in his work in the hospital in Philadelphia the Red Cross had done the finest kind of social service work, coordinating all the agencies that Dr. Payne spoke of as so detrimental to him, and he believed had been a very great benefit rather than a hindrance.
Dr. Dedman took up the work of the Red Cross in taking care of relatives of patients who come to the hospital. Often these people spend all their money for railroad fare, and have none left when they reach the hospital, and the hospital has to take care of them. He said he had arranged that four or five rooms be fixed up for such people as this and believed some definite authority should be had from the Veterans’ Bureau to house these people and furnish their meals. He stated that some boys will ask for things and others will not. He referred to an instance in which a patient had told a lady that he needed a shirt, and two days later when she brought him one she gave it to him before the whole ward and the boy was ridiculed for a long time afterward. He had had trouble in getting the work done through the social welfare workers in the hospital, as the public wants the individual glory of handing something to the boys themselves. The Red Cross has also been a great aid in investigating home conditions of the patients, especially of tubercular patients who want to go home to die. Also, in the case of a man who asks for a long furlough because his mother or sister is dying, the Red Cross will investigate and get an immediate report, and many times it will be found that the mother or sister is not sick at all.
SURGEON PAYNE: stated that he did not want to be misunderstood, that he did not mean to take credit away from the Red Cross.
LIEUT. BOONE: stated that the discussions had gone afield, that real social service work is summed up in four or five heads—securing social histories and other data for the use of tuberculosis specialists and psychiatrists, securing reports on home conditions for help of physicians in deciding whether or not to discharge a patient to his home, corresponding with home communities to adjust home situations, thereby making it possible for patients to remain in hospitals, and arranging through local communities for men who return home to have proper care and assistance in adjusting themselves to civilian life. He believed a great deal of this entertainment work should be separated from social service.
ADMIRAL STITT stated that the question had been considered by the Federal Board of Hospitalization, and it had been recognized that only the Red Cross has this tremendous machinery and it was considered that the Red Cross is the proper agency and organization to take care of that sort of thing. The Red Cross should coordinate and control these outside agencies. He announced that the next discussion would be on “Disciplinary Regulations”.
DR. KLAUTZ took up first that in tubercular institutions the rules must always be stricter than in the general government hospital. He emphasized the fact that tuberculosis in a civilian is the same as in an ex-service man, that the same methods of procedure must be applied in treatment, and that the patient must recognize the importance of discipline in the tuberculosis hospital.
SURGEON DEDMAN stated he had taken part in the compilation of General Order #27, and that he found one flaw in it now. This was the clause about giving a man his transportation. He believed that a man would soon get restless and if he could get his transportation home against medical advice many of these men would get some wonderful home trips. He said this would make it one of the hardest things on earth to keep sick men in bed. He said the only way for this to be done would be to deduct the transportation from the man’s compensation. He stated that General Order 27 had put Commanding Officers where they could sleep at night, that before there was simply turmoil and strife, like the boy in France whose wife, every time she wrote to him, nagged him, and he of course was never anxious to get her letters. Finally he wrote to her “Dear Maggie—Received your last letter. For God’s sake don’t write me any more. Let me fight this war in peace!.”
DR.LLOYD: referring to Dr. Dedman’s complaint, stated that in the case of a man discharged for disciplinary reasons the man would not have the means to get home, and the community would have to take care of him, that it was a choice between two evils. In the case of a man who goes home against medical advice, if his transportation were not paid he would just do something and get fired for disciplinary reasons. He asked for some further discussions on the matter of patients being sent back to a hospital when they ought not to be.
SURGEON MILLER: referring to General Order 27, stated that in his hospital the patients were willing to pay their own transportation, and would go whether it was paid or not.
ADMIRAL STITT: asked that those who wished to present resolutions be writing them.
DR. GUTHRIE: requested that the medical officers who have complaints in regard to General Order 27 and do not have time to express then write them out and he would be very glad to have them sent to him.
SURGEON WHITE (Speedway Hospital): asked whether, if a patient stays away over night A.W.O.L., paragraphs 3 or 4 on Page 3 of General Order 27–A would apply.
ADMIRAL STITT asked that Dr. Lloyd answer that question.
DR. LLOYD: suggested that if patient stays away less than 24 hours mild disciplinary action might be applied, if longer than 24 hours he should be disciplined, that these matters were covered in the paragraphs referred to.
ADMIRAL STITT: “The next discussions will be on “The Relation of District Managers to Hospitals.””
DR. WILLIAMS: emphasized the point that when a man comes to the hospital he should be treated for everything that is wrong with him.
SURGEON BROWNE: wished to report a plan in operation in Boston. Every two weeks a luncheon conference is held, at which are present the Commanding Officers of the hospitals, the head of the American Legion in the State, head of the New England Red Cross, and the Commissioner of State Aid and Pensions. In this way it was possible to straighten out all difficulties and there is now practically no friction between these departments.
CAPT. ELLIOTT: spoke on the contact with the District Manager here in Washington, that it was very easy to reach him by telephone and obtain advice which facilitates the discharge and treatment of patients very much. The relation of the Naval Hospital with the District Manager has been one of greatest cooperation, that the Veterans’ Bureau had even gone so far as to lend a typist and stenographer to help in the great amount of clerical work necessary in making out papers for Veterans’ Bureau patients.
Another man spoke of the multiplicity of paper work necessary in connection with the new form adopted by the Veterans’ Bureau in place of 1934–B, that it was impossible to manifold this form and it necessitated just twice as much work as before. He suggested that the Committee on Forms consider the feasibility of adopting forms that can be manifolded and thereby make economical saving.
SURGEON YOUNG: stated that in regard to the relation of the District Manager he would like to know whether the representative of the Veterans’ Bureau to be in the hospital is to be there as a man directly connected with the personnel of the District Manager’s office, or whether he is to be there as a representative of the Veterans’ Bureau itself.
DR. RAWLS gave the information that the educational director would be a representative of the District Manager, on the staff of the CommandingOfficer of the hospital, who would deal with the District Office in matters pertaining to the District and to the hospitalization of the patient. He stated that it might be that in dealing with certain other phases he would have a direct channel to the Bureau, but this had not been definitely decided.
GENERAL SAWYER: stated that the subject of hospitalization most now be viewed as a much broader field than ever before, that after discussing the subject of an educational department and social service work with people in contact with it it was decided to be absolutely necessary to enlarge the personnel of these hospitals so as to take in these various new things which were coming up for consideration. He emphasized the fact that the end result is the important thing, but that in consideration of all of these subjects it should be understood that these Red Cross representatives and all other employees will be subject to the Commanding Officer. He said he was satisfied that most of the complaint made was by individuals who come into the hospital and do not come in contact with the Commanding Officer. The whole idea of the social service relation is that these men shall be made more resourceful and more capable of earning a living for themselves.
COL. EVANS: took up the number of personnel required, and stated that it had been approved that the average requirements would be—one teacher or one occupational therapist for each twenty individuals actually engaged, and one physiotherapy aide for each twenty treatments per day. He stated that one might not take care of over five patients, but the basis of estimation was one for twenty, and that the average would be one to sixteen if the educational director and his clerical help are included.
SURGEON SPRAGUE: spoke on the value of occupational therapy. He told how after the introduction of occupational therapy in his hospital in New York boys who had been very troublesome before became deeply interested in the work and the wards became as quiet as any other wards. He wished to express himself as most heartily in favor of occupational therapy.
Another discussion on this subject followed. It was stated that there is no question as to the direct therapeutic value of occupational therapy. The disciplinary value is its greatest value. Very often, too, there will be found a boy who has real talent.
SURGEON PAYNE: stated that in his opinion a simpler method of reporting should be adopted, that the system of bookkeeping is perfectly idiotic and that nobody knows just what is meant. He said there was a great deal of sentiment against the Government having any interest in whatthe man makes, and that in many cases the men buy their own material. He cited the case of a man in his hospital who makes all kinds of toys out of tin cans and has worked up quite a trade. Public sentiment is all on that man’s side.
COL. BRATTON: with regard to paying transportation for men discharged for disciplinary reasons, made the following motion, which was carried;
MOTION
MOTION
MOTION
That the Director of the Veterans’ Bureau be requested to secure legislation so that the expenses of the patient’s transportation to his bona fide home, when he has been discharged for disciplinary reasons, be deducted from his compensation, when compensation is being given, or may be given thereafter.
DR. KLAUTZ: said it was his opinion that it was better to put a man right on the train and send him home.
CAPT. BLACKWOOD: “In view of the remarks made at this meeting yesterday in regard to the nurses, and in view of the fact that Congress is contemplating the question of pay for the services, I would like to present this resolution:”
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION
Be it resolved that it is the sense of this meeting that the pay of the nurses of all branches of the Government service is far below what it shouldbe and therefore is a detriment to the entrance to or continuance in those services of the better type of nurses, and that it be urged upon Congress by the Federal Board of Hospitalization that legislation be enacted to remedy this condition.
This resolution was adopted.
DR. KLAUTZ: offered the following resolution, which was also adopted:
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION
That a standard procedure be adopted for the treatment, medical supervision and control of tuberculous patients in all Government hospitals for ex-service men, including uniformity in matters of furlough, application of occupational therapy and pre-vocational training, as far as it may be possible, without sacrificing individualization of treatment.
The meeting adjourned at 12:25 P. M.
The meeting adjourned at 12:25 P. M.
The meeting adjourned at 12:25 P. M.