Public Health Nurse

LegacyUser

Hey

I just after picking up my voice messages from today and my public health nurse want my almost 4 year old in for a three year old development check up.

I am wondering to I have to bring her for this as she is almost a year over the age and she doesn't have any issues she is more advanced then her brother at this stage.

Basically just asking can they do anything to force me to bring her for this as the PHN is not the friendliest person just grunts at you.

January

They can't force you to visit... but since your child will be under their care until they are 5, I would probably bring them along. If you don't like the PHN ask for another one to do the assessment. I know it's a year late but some of them are run off their feet.

Moonbeam

it might be to sign her off.
My 4 year old had hers a few months ago and that is all it was for.

Big Bag of Chips

They'll check her height and weight to see if she's within the average, or above or below! They might check if she can hop!

You can't be forced to go, but there's really no reason not to go. You'll be there for 5 minutes... You can grunt back at her if she gets really bad

Chocolate fiend

You don't have to go at all. Just let them know you won't be attending.

I took my boy to his 3 year one and they signed him off, they finish with that one unless there are any issues as far as I know.

How Strange

As others said you don't have to go but they may do checks for things you wouldn't know about or notice. My brother has limited sight in one eye as he missed a check up when he was four. By the time it was picked up on it was too late to rectify.

If it were me I'd go.

sillysocks

Our PHN is like that as well - a total pain and always contradicting her own advice, or going against what the GP has already told me. I bring the kids for the check ups just so we can tick that box but to be honest I spend the 5 or 10 minutes nodding, agreeing and smiling, and then as soon as I walk out the door I selectively forget 99% of what she's 'advised' me.
When my son was born she was on holidays and a PHN from another area was covering - she was a joy and showed me how a PHN can actually be helpful - I've taken to thinking of mine as a burden rather than a help!

pwurple

Mine was a total cow as well. Missed several of our checks I realised when we moved to another area and asked for records to be moved. New one is better though. A year late is a bit frikken useless though. What's the point?

Big Bag of Chips

They do a "pre school" check. Usually when the child is around 4, because once they go onto "big school" they are discharged from the care of the PHN and passed over to the school nurse who visits schools.

So rather than be the 3 year check, this will probably be the "discharge" check as someone else mentioned.

Chocolate fiend

My guy was discharged at his 3 year check, that was 2 years ago now, have they changed it since then? She said she would not be seeing him again.