The bee., 1883-12-15
NURSING THE SICK.
Some Good Advice TO the Attendants
OF Those who are HI.


OF Those who are HI.
To minister to the sick, says All the
Year Round, is one of the noblest am.
bitions of the present age, as evinced
by the number of people who volun-
tarily devote themselves to such duties,
Independently of the calls of affection
Or considerations of reward. To be
good nurse requires rare combination
Of excellencies in the same individual
intelligence, physical strength, a
kind disposition with firmness, a light
hand and foot, courage greater than
that which animates the soldier on the
battlefield, and, above all, untiring
patience. Given these, and the nurse
becomes more than half the remedy,
not only inspiring confidence on the
part of the patient, but the surgeon or
physician also, who can rely that his
instructions will be carried out with
implicit obedience to the letter. Such
a paragon, however, is rarely to be met
with, except as an emissary from one
or another of those admirable institu-
tions where ladies are trained under
skilful management for this work;
and in the vast majority of cases az
invalid is placed in the hands of his
immediate friends or relations, who.
with the best intenAbns, it must be
confessed, often prejudice his comfort
and retard his recovery by the very
over-anxiety which is bred of affection.
The object of this paper is not to con-
vey the instructions necessary for the
education of an accomplished nurse-a
difficult task-but to enumerate few
small points which should be avoided,
as tending greatly to the discomfort of
the patient, and for the guidance of
those who, without previous expert
ence, find themselves suddenly thrust
into this most responsible position.
Quietude is great thing, of course,
but real quietude means the absence
of all excitement, and it must be re-
membered that anything out of the
common will tend to excite the mind of
a sufferer. Do not, therefore walk on
tiptoe, for this, in addition to its uD-
usual elaboration Of the gait, invaria-
bly, causes certain amount Of creak-
ing. Speak in low tones. but don't
whisper; a whisper will often awake a
sleeper who would not be disturbed by
ordinary conversation; and never say
"Hush"' Let your clothes and foot
covering be of as noiseless and unob-
trusive character as possible, and in
stead of gliding and .tottering about
like rickety ghost, do not hesitate to
walk. If you have occasion to say any,
thing in the room, say it so that the
patient can hear it if he wishes, and dc
not let him be aware of your conspir
ing privately with the others, especial
ly at the door. That door has much to
answer for. If it be visible from the
bed, people, open it cautiously, put their
heads in and slowlywfhdraw again.
If, as is more frequently the case, it is
screened by the bed curtains, mysteri-
Gus openings and shuttings are heard,
unattended with any apparent ingress
or egresS and soto voce colloquies go
on outside. When you enter do so
honestly and at once; do not spend
five minutes in turning the handle,
like housebreaker, thereby producing
series of irritating little clicks, final
ly terminating in 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 either require to be ratified
back into position, or, if left as it is,
may start back suddenly, after a time,
of its own accord, with a report like
pistol shot. 1t is always well to recol-
lect that it by no means follows that a !
sick person is asleep because his eyes
are shut; he may be acutely conscious
of all that is passing in the room,
though unable or unwilling to make
any sign: and nothing can be more
maddening under such circumstances
than to have people hush-sh-shing and
whispering around and creaking about
on the tips of their toes.
Never stand at the foot of the bed
and look at the patient. While talk
ing to 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 neces-
sary observation of his features with
out enforcing the arrest of his eyes to
your own. which is 50 embarrassing
and disagreeable to one lying in bed,
and is almost unavoidable when facing
him. Keep him in as comfortable a
position as possible, by all means, but
don't be too demonstrative in smooth
ing the pillows and little offices of that |
sort. Fidgety attentions will worry