The Somerset reporter., 1888-06-28
THE TRAINED NURSE,
HOW SHE LlGHTENs THE SUFFER-
ING PATIENTS WEARY HOURS.

'hiuhple services In the Sick Roou "a,
tho Women of thu Professional Schools.
mkeeping a Record Of the Cnse-worL
aud Wages.
The training school nurse is a tower of
strength, pillar of support an angel of
wisdom and light. The things she can
do are past enumorating She can make
a oahdage plaster. or II poultice and
put 1t on the patient before the bost
housewife can hunt up the soft rag re.
CURED IN the operation, she can give "A
fever patient a full bath under the bed
clothes every hour, and not only clean the
body but stimulate IT, she can wash n
sick child without putting soap suds in
its eye or the wash rag in its mouth: sbr
can comb hair, get the tunglcs out viii,
out hurting and keep the scalp clean. She
can make bed without removing the in
valid or exposing any part Of the body.
and She has the iaculty of beating M n
pillow and whipping comfort and ease into
IL. She Is also an excellent cook and can
prepare many tempting dishes for her
patients, such Us br0ths and bouillon.
toast waters, gruels custards, blanc
mango aud mafmalades Her skill is
shown also III the varied combinations she
can make of milk und eggs. cereals. md
fruits actually making the patient be
lieve in change OF diet without depart
ing from the prescribed fare by the doctor.
Aside from the personal care Of the
patient she must keep a record Of the case
II the physician calls for it, in which Is
hourly noted the temperature. pulse.
respiration, aud the condition of the
bowels, kidneys. skin and eyes of the
patient. The time Of giving medicine and
food is also entered and under the bend.
ing remarks is noted tho amount Of
food and sleep taken. effects of medicine.
and whatever variations there may be in
the case. No school report is made out
with greater accuracy, neatncss or legi-
bility. 1t explains itself to any one who
can read and by referring to the several
entries the physician can treat the patient
from his buggy or office Just as if lie went
to the sick chamber, which very many
doctors do who are pressed for time. for
In the majority Of eaSps it is nursing
rather than medicine that brings about a
cure. OF course II is to be expected that
some nurses will not reach the standard
here Indicated. for they are but human.
The physician who encounters an inoapa.
bic nurse is very likely to become preiu-
diced against the entire profession, but it
only requires the services of good nurse
to put him right again,
However, II is poor rule that. will not
work both ways. and tAere are plenty of
instances ON record where smart unas-
Stunning young woman has brought about
the dismissal OF the attending physician
because his diagnosis of the case was
faulty. Just at present the two profcs.
sions are more or less contentious mas
much as schools differ-one granting the
privilege of administering medicine to the
graduated nurse and other training
schools making such action n INSIDE
meanor. The wisdom of the latter sys
TEN is self evident, for ia is hardly posi-
Bile in the college term of eighteen months
to give the pupil nurse medical educa
ton In schools where medical instruc
ton forms part of the graded course
there is danger that the adnlnist ration of
bromides, narcotics and opates will be
carried to the verge of rashncss If the
nurse is tired and feels herself unequal
to the task imposed, her first inclination
is to take hypodermic injection, willie
an INSCRIPTIONS one will not hesitate to
quiet a troublesome patient with dose
of morphine.
In cases of contagion the duties of the
nurse are most onerous. Every square
inch of the room has to be scrubbed with
soap and water-wails windows, sash,
Dashboard, bcdstead, table and chairs
and afterward treated to disinfectant
sponging This operation done with, the
place must be fumigated with sulphur or
chlorine paper, after which both nurse
and patient are given an antiseptic bath
and clothed in absolutely clean garments.
In this connection may be stated the as
sistance a nurse renders the surgeon,
whose instruments she disinfccts after
each operation Fever nursing is the
most expensive to the nurse, rs well as
the patron. since it requires Mt least two
weeks to overcome the effects. An
honest nurse will not take n surgical or
obstetrical case within ten days after Civ
ing up fever patient, knowing the dam
ger there is of carrying the contagion in
her hair or some portion of her attire.
Even at her own personal loss the con.
scentious woman will forego an engage
ment rather than expose her patients to
the chances of fever. During the respite
she lives largely in the open air and re-
peats the antiseptic bath
The minimum wages of nurse are $15
a week, but in extreme cases $50 and $40
a week is paid. Provision has to be made
for her board, so that the salary Is clear
gain. While the uniform of null and
cap and seersucker gown is wholly OPP
tional with the wome~, most of them con
tinue to wear it in service on hygienic as
well as economical principles. But it
must not be imagined that it is all smooth
sailing in the house where disease rcigns.
All the people who employ nurses do not
keep help and in cases where the mother
or head OF the house is stricken down it Is
the duty of the nurse to look after the
home as well as she can. Hot water ne
cessitates her presence in the kitchen, and
in the preparation of the patient ; meals
the appetites of the young children are
looked after. One must be the mother Of
n large family ard endure sickness and
poverty to know the value of faithful
nurse. Some of these patient, self sacri-
fcing girls will manage to prepare the
meals and do the housework, TO keep the
children AT school and away from the sick
room. She will chop wood, carry up coal,
sweep, darn, and shop. stavc off the col
lector of bills and handle the family purse
with greater care than II it were her own.
The ages of nurses vary from 20 to 30.
color, creed and nationality cutting no
figure in election or application. The re
quirements for admission to the school
for nurses are. A good moral character,
mature age, good health, habit of order
and cleanliness and sufficient education to
read and write the English language well
enough to fill ont blanks on which TO
record observations of the sick The
school term is eighteen months. Chicago
Times.