The New York herald., 1878-12-05
TRAINING SCHOOL FOR NURSES.

ANNUAL MEETING AND PRESENTATION OF DI-
PLoMAs-wHAT HAS BEEN DONE DURING THE
PAST YEAR.
The fifth annual meeting OF the training school for
nurses. in connection with Bellevue Hospital.
held yesterday. The Home. at No. 426 East Twenty
sixth street presented a cheerful Carriage
after carriage passed the hospital the opposite side
of the way and drew mp in front Of the stone steps
leading to the door, while many ladies found their
way thither foot. Neatly dressed nurses,
wearing snow-white caps. up and down
the broad flight Of stairs leading to the second
floor, while Others waited in the main hall
to receive the visitors and show them the room
which had been set apart for the anniversary
cises. Twenty young ladies' who We're TO receive
diplomas, and many visitors the dining room
would hold, comfortably seated at half-past
o'clock. when Rev DR.. 0. H. Tiffany offered the OPEN
ing prayer. Undergraduates ladies and young physt
clans. who could not be accommodated in the dining
room. stood about the hallway the door. After
prayer and the reading of minutes address de-
livered by DR.. William II. Van Burcn. Then came tha
annual report and the presentation of diplomas by
the President, Mrs. Alexander Hamilton. At thu
conclusion OF these exercises visitors shown
throughout the building, which is comparatively
new, having been remodelled and almost entirely re-
built when purchased for the of the school
year and half ago. The parlor. dining and
spacious hail. with painted floors. and walls adorned
with photographs and cngrayinGs, We're the objects
of special admiration the first floor while in the
upper stories the beautifully furnished apartments
OF the superintendent, Miss Perkins the de-
light of the lady visitors. Nor the little
occupied by the sxty-three nurses at present in the
Home passed by without an approving word. Moro
than an hour was spent III this informal inspection
of the building. visitors seeming loath to take their
departure from so cheerful spot.
BURLS's ADDRESS.
In his address to the young ladies who were to re-
ceive diplomas Dr. Van Buren, expressed gratitude for
the aid which the training school is constantly afford
ing to the medical profession III this city-a fact
which the public has not been slow TO recognize.
1T should be your first ambition" he said. $50 to
perform your duties to do honor the Institute
that has educated and now indorses you. With your
knowledge acquired so laboriously comes sense Of
power which you may be tempted to abuse by un-
warrantable selfasserton. 1t is strong human trait
and has been asserted to be especially American but
you have been taught to sink your personality
in your work you will be less liable to fail
into this error Young physicians Just graduated
often suffer from this fault and it takes some years
OF contact with the world to rid them Of ii. II has
been said. however that the best them grow more
modest their experience becomes mature. Then.
again, self-assertion Is not a feminine trait and
have but little fear that you will assume medical
functions to which you have not the claim. l have
frequently observed With satisfaction the devotion
shown by the trained nurse to her patient. This is
the true professional spirit. which assumes an
immediate personal interest in everything that
bears upon tho patients welfare. and shrinks
be found necessary ! do not mean that you
should assume ministerial Offices when they hS
otherwise provided for, but that. rather than lei
your patient suffer you should shrink from nothing
however unpleasant. The unreasoning devotion 81
the mother to her child is the model Of the abne-
CATION you should strive to attain. and in serving
your fellow creatures you simulate the spirit o
humility which led Christ to wash the feet of His dis.
ciples. And now my friends let rue ask YOU TO keen
this idea constantly in your minds:-Thc credit and
reputation of your calling is in certain degree
mi'ted to each one q you. and i behooves you to
cherish and to magnify the good name it is earning in
this community
WHAT THE SCHOOL is DOING.
Some interesting points were brought out in tho
annual report. The school opened in May. 1873.
with six and superintendent in charge of six
wards containing forty three patients. Now there
are fourteen wards and sixty regular nurses, and
1959 patients have been cared for this On the
lst Of January Mrs Brown, superintendent of the
female branch OF the City Mission, had under hel
charge one nurse from the training school shortly
after she was reinforced by two more. fourth went
to her aid two months ago end ifth on the 1st Of
November. One Of these young ladies has attended
l3l in six months and the total number visits
are supported by private ladies', but it il
hoped that in time every church will havd
been admitted to the training school since January l.
and are qualifying themselves tor the duties OF .
nurse. Fifteen of the number had not previously
supported themselves, while the remaining eight
were teachers had been engaged in literary work.
Graduates find difficulty in obtaining empioymens
in hospitals or private families and they said to
enjoy ss good health women engaged in other
cupations During the past five years there has BEEN
but one death in the school. A member of the Board
of Managers some time invented and presented to
the training school conrivance for lifting
helpless patients, which has already proved ok
the greatest service The Emergency Hospital estab-
lished year and half ago in connection with the
school. has done much practical good. 1t has
modations for eleven patients. and since the lst OF
January has taken care of 130 women.
OF the twenty nurses who yesterday received
diplomas the first named will leave the school
Immediately to enter upon the discharge OF their pro-
fessional duties. The others will return their di.
plomas to the superintendent and receive them again
at the expiration OF their years course whicn.
in most cases, has well nigh expired Following 10
the list:-
Mrs. s. T. Riley. New York state; Miss Eliza W.
Brown. Virginia; Miss Emma J Hagar. Newtown.
Mass; Miss Annie Scott Odell PASSPORT Me-; Misa
Catherine Proxall, Engand Miss Rachel Belt Balti.
more, Md; Miss Emma Clay. Middlebury. VT; Miss
Mazzie Guillam. England; Miss Guadaloup Callanas
Georgetown, ID. O.; Miss Julia q. McNutt, Wilkes
barre, Pa Miss Eliza Porter Massach usetts; Miss
Eliza Perry Ithaca. n. ": Miss Eihe Benedict, Miss
Mary A. Miner and Miss Ruth Price, New York State;
Miss NJ. X. Borgs augusta, Ga; Miss Emma Church.
Vermont; Miss Rachel Liller, Colorado Miss Mary A
Wickham. Connecticut; Miss Mary Z. knight. Neu
XorL .ity