Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-08

Sne Is permitted many liberties DY virtue OF
her abilities and usefulness, and has oppor-
tunities for observation and knowledge con-
cernins home affairs and household secrets
not possessed by any other person. A nurse
that talks in one house about matters that
belong exclusively to another will soon be
distrusted and dismissed. An assistant of
any kind, physician. nurse or helper, whose
habits of thought and expression are not
above retailing news and family secrets,
should step down and out of the business or
profession at once.
CONTROL OF THE VOICE.
AS you are wanted more for what you can
do than say, your voice should be we'll
under control, clear, distinct, and also
gentle. A patient should never be obliged
to make the extra effort required to ask you
to repeat what you haye said; adapt your
voice to the condition OF the patient and of
his noisy or silent surroundings Be in
view o. the patient, he always want to see
you when he speaks with you. So do not
put him to the trouble of moving to be able
to accomplish this. Do not surprise him by
abruptness; some slight motion or indistinct
sound should prelude a sentence, whose
snddenness might otherwise distress him.
To call patient by name is the surest
way to attract his attention; especially
when this is rendered difficult by sleep.
stupor, or approaching death. Avoid
fstlguing the patient by making him listen
to stories that require sustained attention,
or to information that might distress or
annoy. Sick persons, like all we'll ones,
like to hear good news, and if they are able
to be told anything, let it be something that
mas resulted happily to somebody.
Did you never notice that people uncOn-
Sciaus1v Iaarn to love thOse M hrinO them
good news? Pave the way, therefore, for
favor ami esteem in the heart OF your pa
tient by making your messages conduce TO a
cheerful frame of mind. Do not talk to
your patient while he is standing or walk
ing; if he is very weak the extra effort of
attention and listening will be painful to
him.
INvALIDS ARE UNREASONABLE.
Inyalids are often the most unreasonable
OF people. They have their petty whims,
their diseased fancies, their willful discon-
tents and often their perpetualediscomt
No nurse will undertake to argue these
away. They are symptoms often entirely
beyond the patients control. ALWAYS con-
siderately investigate their complaints, aId,
if possible, satisfy them though it may seem
utterly useless. Bear in mind that o ten
their sensibilities are, when sick, wonder
fully acute, and what may Seem the veriest
trihe to we'll person is no trife to them.
You should be light sleeper, waking
readily on call and never guilty OF snoring.
Farther on we shall tell you how to correct
this wretched misfortune in patient, and
your own judgment can correct 1t in your
own case il necessary. There are many oc- !
casions when purse can economic time |
ior sleep i she will school herself to waking |
at the first movement of the patient, or to |
waking at the expiration of stated time. |
Few things are more certain than the pos
sibility of waking after the expiration OF |
stated time, as the result OF training in that |
attempt.
A nurse should be well, and to be most |
successful she should have no deformity; |
SICK persons enjoy seeing we'll ones; they |
nave enough in their own bodies to bother |
[nem without seeing ailments in those who |
attend them, or listening to any stories of |
their aches or grievances; and ii you have |
your sick day, avoid letting it be known to
The patient, by look or word, without good
cause.
KINDNESS AND CONFIDENCE.
A good nurse will be full OF kindness.
And nothing is more contagious than kind.
ness, unless it be confdence. and Kindness
10 essential to that. The kind nurse will |
'ontrol BY gsntleness combined with dc. |