Who we
are and what do we do?
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Jan Laverty
- Health Visitor |
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Carol Zollo
- Health Visitor |
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Tracey Hodges- Community Nursery Nurse |
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Sam Carswell - Community Nursery Nurse |
We can be found in the
Child Health Suite in the ‘ pink '
corridor opposite Consulting Rooms 1-4.
We can often be seen ‘flying' in and
out of our rooms and I expect some of you,
who don't know us, wonder who we are and
what we are doing. We most probably confuse
people, as we don't wear uniform as the
rest of the nurses in the practice do, and
we work in a completely different way.
Health Visitors are trained
nurses who have chosen to specialise in
preventative care and public health. We
are trained to work with people of all ages
(from cradle to grave) but within the Leatside
Practice we mainly concentrate on families
with children age 0-5years.
Our training consists of
a basic 3 year Registered Training (used
to be State Registered Nurse), followed
by experience gained in other spheres of
nursing (eg Midwifery, Paediatrics or Occupational
Health) before undertaking a further year
of training at University level to qualify
as a Registered Health Visitor. Both of
us are also Nurse Prescribers and can write
prescriptions from a limited list for our
clients in the same way as the Doctors do
We work with all areas
of Child Development, which can encompass
anything from feeding and sleeping to toilet
training and temper tantrums. Our families
also include children who are physically
and mentally disabled, children with life
threatening illnesses, those with learning
difficulties, children with rare syndromes.
We are able to offer support for these children,
their parents, and often the extended family.
We work closely with the
Doctors in the Practice, having regular
formal and informal meetings, and with the
Paediatric Consultants at Torbay Hospital
and in the Community. We also link in with
the Midwives, District Nurses, Speech Therapists,
School Nurses, Occupational Therapists,
Physiotherapists, Social Services, Housing
Department, Police and Solicitors.
As we work within the practice
we also adhere to the Practice Policy of
recording contacts on to Computer. These
are linked into the consultations that you
may have with anyone else within the Surgery
and leads to a more comprehensive delivery
of care to you. It also may save you having
to say the same thing twice if you have
seen one of us and we have suggested or
made an appointment for you to see a Doctor
as a result of our contact.
Part of our work is in
the field of Child Protection and we are
both experienced in dealing with this, and
increasingly with support for victims of
Domestic Violence. We offer Support Groups
as needed and will be increasingly involved
with Parenting Support Groups with children
of all ages.
As you can see by the list
of some of the different aspects of our
work we are a bit like the old advert for
the AA-‘if we don't know, we know
a man (or woman) who can'!
From our base in the surgery
we can arrange to see families where it
is most convenient for them, either in the
Surgery, their home, Hospital or e.g. at
a Playgroup. As our work area is the same
as the geographical area of the Surgery
we ask that you be a little understanding
with us if we don't arrive on time. We could
be held up by one of many things ranging
from floods to a flock of sheep in the road
or even because the person we have been
visiting before you needed that unexpected
extra time. Please bear with us because
the next time that person that we are giving
the extra time to could be you.
Our work varies from day
to day. The only routine that we set is
the two walk-in Clinics that we do on a
Monday 2 - 4pm and Thursday 10 -12pm.
The rest of the time varies with our client
needs. Our work is never dull, often is
very stimulating (learning is a two way
process), sometimes can be sad, but mostly
very satisfying and rewarding.
If you would like to arrange
an appointment please Telephone on 01803
860303 (Direct Line with answerphone)
Or 01803 862671 (via Surgery)
Some useful internet
links....
Baby
Jabs
MMR
Working
Parents
Dr
Greene web site - American info site
www.b4baby.com
- shopping site
mothercare.com
- baby shop
urchin.co.uk
- baby shop
Devon
Info on Services for Children |
