Empleo de voluntarios en programas de pruebas de la Tuberculina

Abstract

One way of solving the problems of cost and the use of professional time in a tuberculin skintesting program is to use lay and professional volunteers. In the community of Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A., the Health department found that their public health nurses were needed only in the areas of health education, in-service training, program planning, and follow-up care for patients. Married and retired nurses volunteered to give the skin tests. Non-professional volunteers did all of the record work and interpreted the program to the public

The concept of "volunteer" was changed and broadened. Physicians volunteered assistance in preparing records and streamlining the program; radio and newspaper personnel planned and organized publicity with the help of the Health Education Division of the Health Department; and staff members of the Health Department volunteered for night work so that the clinics would be open when father came home from work and took his family for testing

The outstanding result of this particular type of program was that the entire community had the opportunity to hear of, or to visit, their Health Department, which came to enjoy the warm feeling of belonging through the volunteer spirit of the community(AU)