Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-06
THE TRAINED NURSE.
Her Value in tie Sick Room.


1t will never be known how many lives
are sacrificed annually to incompetent
nursing. When the physician or surgeon,
after doing his best for the patient, closes
the door behind him, il is often with the
unpleasant feeling that all the good that
he has done may be undone before bis next
visit by the stupidity, neglect, or injudi-
cious kindness of the woman or women
who are left to take care of the patient
Another doctor once said to the writer
that he considered patients chance of
recovery 80 per cent. better with trained
than an unframed nurse. A well-known
physician of Boston said in public lee
ture that when he saw trained nurse
standing beside the bedside of a patient
he felt almost sure that the life would be
saved
In every serious illness the critical time
always comes when life hangs in the bal
ance. A little neglect, slight careless
or constant watchfulness and prompt
ness will incline it one way or the other,
and the life is saved or lost
1t is then that the trained nurse shows
how invaluable training is. She recognizes
the crisis, even if the doctor is not at hand
to tell her that it is upon the negS foR
hours that life or death depends. She is
calm because she knows what to do, and
she does it. She has resources. When a
thing is to be done, like the administration
of nourishment or medicine, and if one
wav fails her. she has another. Instead Of
help.essly giving up at the first difficulty
and considering it an impossibitity, she
brings her knowledge and experience to
bear upon the point and carries it.
Il ordered cooling lotion" said doc
tor once, with gesture of resigned de-
poultice. Nothing would induce the nurse
to cover the infamed part with only one
fold of wet linen, because it dried up so
fastr'
AS it was precisely the object of the 10
ton to relieve the inflammation by evap-
Grafton. it was trying to find the part COW
cred with several thicknesses of cloth
which effsctuallY prevented evaporation
and entirely defeated the end in view
In surgical operation trained assist
ance of some kind is absolutely necessary
to the operator and in many cases this can
be supplied by a properly-taught woman.
The prepa ration of the patient can be left
to her entirely.
The arrangement of the room and of the
different articles likely to be required de-
wolves upon her, and at the time of the OPP
Grafton, knowing exactly what is required,
she can often render all the aid that is
needed. The afier-care of the patient is
of the greatest Importance, and cannot
with safety be left to an unprofessional
person.
1t is usually impossible for the surgeon
to devote himself exclusively to one case,
and if he has no one upon whom he can
rely to watch if for him some apparently
triAing accident may cause it to terminate
fatally. A Slight hemorrhage, chill, a
misplaced bandage, are like the first little
breach in dike-not serious if attended
to at once, but if unobserved or neglected
end in ruin and desolation.
No doctor, and especially no country
doctor, who has had to contend with the
nursing that usually falls to the lot of
his patients will deny that there is great
need of trained, qualified women as nurses
women who can faithfully, efficiently,
and intelligently carry out his orders and
assist him in what is the aim and object of
all his efforts-the cure of the patient.
For such women there is ample room
and work in abundance.