Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-26
NURSING THEE SICK.
From ALI the Year Round.

FIR ON All the Year Round.
TO minister to the sick is one Of the
noblest ambitions of the present age, as
evidenced by the number OF people ~ho
voluntarily devote themselves to such
duties, indie pendently Of the calls OF at
lection or considerations OF reward. t.
be q good nurse requires rare coma
bination of exce]encies in.the same indi-
observation-disclosures, physical strength,
kind disposition with 1irmness. light
hand and foot, courage greater silan
that which animates the soldier on the
battlefield, and, above all, untrinsy pa
tience. Given these, and the nurse be-
comes more than half the rem edy, not
only inspiring confidence on the part of
the patient, but OF the surgeon or piiysi
clan also, who can rely
that his instructions will be
carried out with implicit obedience to
the letter. Such q paragon, however, is
rarely to be met with, except as an en-
issary foom one or another of these ad
mirable il stitutlonS where ladies are
trained under sgillful management for
this work; and iii the vast minority o.
cases an invalid is placed in the hands
of his immediate friend or relations,
who, with the best intentions, it must
be confessed often prejudice his comfort
and retard lis recovery by the over
anxiety VIII ich is bred of affection. Iile
object OF this paper is not to convey the
instructions nece ssary for the education
of an accomplished nurse-a difficult
task---5ut to enumcrate few small
points which should be avoided, as
tending greatly to the dis comfort of the
patient, and for the guidance Of those
who. without previous experience, find
most responsible position.
Quietude is a great thing, OF
the absence ~ of all excite ce7
1nent and it must be remembered that
anything out Of the common will tend 10
excite the mind of q sufferer. Do not,
therefore, walk on tip-toe; tor this, in
addition to its unusual elaboration of
the gait, invariably causes a certain
amount of creaking. Speak in low
tones, but don't Whisper; - whisper will
often awake g sleeper who would not
be disturbed by ordinary coDve rsation;
and never say "Hush" Let yonr
clothes and foot covering be OF as noise-
less and unobtru$iye a character as pos
sible, and instead Of gliding and totttr-
ing about like ri:kety ghost, do not
hesitate to walk. If you have occasion
to say anything in the room, say it 80
the patient can near 1t if he wishes, and
do not let hi,n be aware of your conspir-
ing privately With the others, especially
at the door. That door has .i,uch to
answer for. fit be visible from the bed
people open 1t cautiously, ont their
heads in, and slowly withdraw
again. If, as is more frequently
the case, it is screened by
tht bed-curtains, mysterious openings
and shuttings are heard, unattended
with any apparent ingress or eyress and
soto voce collouuies 20 on outsi4e.
When you enter DO so honestly and at
once; do not spend i've minutes in turn.
ing the handle like g house breaker,
thereby producing a series of Irritating
little clicks, finally terminating in q big
snap, with which the door flies open.
If the latch be at all rusty, handle
that is slowly wound back in this way
will often stick, and even require to be
ratified back. into position, or, left as it
is, may start back suddenly, after a
like pistol shot! It is always we'll to
recollect that it by no means follows
that sick person is asleep because his
eyes are shut; he may be acutely con-
scious Of all that is passing in the room,
though unable or unwilling to make any
sign; and nothing can be more madden
ing, under such circumstances, than to
have people hush sh-shing and Whisper
ing around and cracking about on the
tips of their toes, We have all sympathi-
zed in our hearts with poor Leices-
ter Deadlock when his tongue WAS smit-
ten with paralysis with his sister con-
stantly bending over him with clasped
hands and murmuring, He is sleep!'
till goaded to desperation, he makes
signs for his slate, and writes, II am
not"
Never stand at the foot of the bed and
look at the patient. While talking t.
him, it is better to sit by the side of the
bed, and as near the pillow as possible,
so that you may converse easily, while
your face and body are turned in the
same direction as his. BY this
means you can make all necessary OBJ
servation of his features, without enforc-
ing the arrest Of his eyes to your OWL,
which is so embarrassing and disagree
able to one lying in bed, and is almost
unavoidable wnen facing him. Keep
him in as comfortable a position SIS pos
sible, by all means, but don't be too de-
monstrative in smoothing the pillows
and little Offices of that sort. Fidgety at,
sentions will worry him.. and do him
more harm than downright: neglect.