Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-10
Friday Evening. Yam. 10. iszs.
Mow Nurses BE Trained.

AAON NuHSC8 uEO AEeAAACUs
Philadelphia LEDGER
An extract from a Boston newspa-
per, published in the Ledger a few
days ago, on the subject of regularly
trained and skilled nurses for hospital
and private service in the sick cham
Der, invites some further notice, as the
teaching and training Of such nurses
began in Philadelphia in a regular
professional way a considerable time
before the progressive Boston folks
took hold Of the idea. Well-informed
people here are familiar with the sys-
tenn now. Nurse training schools
we're first established at K aisersWerth,
in Prussia, under the charge of Pastor
Fliedher, and were thence carried to.
England by Miss Nightingale. From
the secular training schools Of Lon
don, as we'll as the Protestant religi-
GUS establishments and sisterhOods of
Clever and elsewhere, the experience
gained found ready adoption in
America. The training schools of
Philadelphia, New York, Boston,
and New Haven, which we give in
the order of their establishment, are
entirely disconnected from the sister
hood idea, which was the first form of
Fliedner's plan. They are profession
al auxiliaries attached to hospitals.
whore their pupils are in constant at
tendance on the sick, having courses
Of lectures and theoretical training
also, and the diploma for their sue
cessful graduates. The pupil must be
qualified by intelligence, sympathy
and the same enthusiasm for the pro-
fession as a doctor has for his, and she
must not be too old to learn. The
immortal Mrs. Harris, Of Dickens
memory, has long ceased to shake her
head at the idea that a good nurse
could be made out Of a young and
healthy woman, With all her faculties
about her, with ready pencil to note
down every change of symptom for the
d0ctors ere With soft slippers and
aarustling dress with knowledge Of.
81 handy appliances for relieving
pain Or soothing restlessness. and With
p-zCtiesd eye and touch. The age for
pupils trained in the Philadelphia
Of the WOmens Hospital Is
from twenty one 70 hrty-fFe. and
there Is tie same remedy for youthful
1sss IN this profession as in the young
ease-every year mends it.
and neither the nurse nor the doctor
can have too much experience.
Inc W0mzns Hospital School.
college avenue lnOrth Of Gil Z
rard college, and TEenty-second
has been part Of the hospital
work since its foundation in 1861 but
vas regularly endowed in 1872. when
the diet kitchen and the lectures on
nursing were established. The course
Of iraining extends over two years.
The proper functions Of the hospital
for the treatment Of the dis
eases Of women and children. and for
maternity cases its pupils spend a year
IN the Pennsylvania Hospital. for
practice in general surgical and medi-
nursing. The wards of the ihhr-
mary for nervous diseases Of the Or
thOpedic Hospital, are also open to
of this school Who have a
special aptitude for such cases. After
this comprehensive drill the school
reserves the latter portion of their
term for private practice. and upon
application to the hospital. nurses are
supplied to physicians and applicants.
The nurses of the Woman's Hospital
are required TO wear cotton gowns.
no stuff dresses being permitted
when III service on a patient
in order that there may be The
most absolute freshness and ncatness
and freedom from any e~ontagiop.
Their white aprons and other appoint.
ments are inspected with the SCRUTINY.
OF a West Point drill. Although
they are thoroughly instructed in
the duties Of a nurse, the first duty.
which Is faithful carrying out Of the
physicians orders is the cardinal point
of their routine. This understood
many Of the minor medical duties.
such as registering the pulse, taking
the temperature Of the patients body.
and other observations deyolys upon
them, and the most exact statement
in writing, of the patients condition,
is to be made whenever required. In
the diet kitchen they are taught to
prepare food for tho sick and serve II
a specified portion of their term being
given entirely to this duty. The first
general hospital in the city to open its.
wards to this training school was the
Philadelphia Hospital at Blockley,
whose managers, in 1876, fitted up one
of the pavilions, expressly given in
to the head nurse and pupils
the Woman's Hospital School.
The services Of tho nurses were gra-
,uitously given, for two years, in ex-
for the valuable opportunities
in the range Of cases. This
Of the training is now given in
he Pennsylvania Hospital, which has
n agreement with The Training School
o furnish nurses for its women and
hildren's wards.
The nurses sont out by the Woman's
hospital School for private practice
arry with them a printed form Of
aper, upon which both the physician
charge and the patient or friends
e requested 70 register whatever re-
Afks or criticisms CONFIDENTIAL may