The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-29
AS 1T LOOKS TO WOMEN
The Good Work of the Trained
Nurse.
HOW, HER SERVICES ARE PAID.
The Great Women OF Islam-From Tripe
To Millions How to Make Soup Easily
Gossip and Chit Chat on Topics of
the Day.

In this world Of suffering many find their
life work beside the couches of the sick and
dying. Some have this work thrust upon
them by the stern hand of duty; others
voluntarily devote their lives TO lessening
the human misery TO be found about them,
while third class undertake the work for
money.
Necessity or q desire for independence
sends forth each year large number of
young women TO swell the ranks of the
worlds workers, and to me none seem to
have chosen nobler calling or TO be better
equipped for life's work than the army Of
trained nurses sent out from our hospitals.
Those who have served the apprenticeship,
varying In time from eighteen months to
three years, go forth, not necessarily hard
ened, but accustomed to sights and sounds
of suffering, trained not to give way to
their feelings OF even the most trying oc-
casions, to obey the doctors orders to the
letter. TO note the slightest change in the
patients condition, to follow the best
methods for promoting the comfort of the
sick and assisting nature in her efforts to
restore health.
There is demand for this sort of knowl-
edge and it is profitable from financial
standpoint. Trained nurses receive good
being the large cities. OF course every
one may not succeed in this work. am
informed that hardly one-half of the pro-
bationers at a certain woman's hospital
finish the course. Some find the work
harder or NOR. disagreeable than they ex-
pected, cannot overcome their nervousness
at beholding painful operations or for
various other reasons, but those whom il
has been my pleasure to know, who have
finished the course and are now working
independently of the hospital, are quite de-
voted to their work.
have several friends and acquaintances
who are trained nurses and perhaps few
items from the experience Of one who has
recently spent part OF her well earned va
cation with me may be Of interest to those
young women who are about TO choose
some vocation. She commenced teaching
at seventeen After five years work she
found herself worn and nervous, with very
little love or enthusiasm for teaching, but
work she must, as her parents were poor.
Just at this time "A lady Of her acquaint-
snce was taken i'll and she was persuaded
20 undertake the nursing Of her. She sue
ceeded SO we'll that the doctor and friends
urged her to fit herself for this work.
Sending an application, together with
certificate Of health from a physician and
recommendation from her pastor, TO a hos
pital for women and children, she was
voted In on n months probation, donned
her uniform of striped gingham, with white
apron and cap, and went to work.
The first few weeks were homesick ones,
but, as she wrote, "They pay very little at
tention to that kind of Sickness" and her
only remedy was hard work.
Tba kifchan yVork-makinu NJ Oruals
poultices and various other disagreeable
duties--was given To the newcomers. but
as they became more skillful their lot was
easier.
At the close Of her pre- oation she was ac-
cepted and st the end Of eighteen months
graduated with honor. For her services at
the hospital she received from six to twelve
dollars a month"; board and washing. She
had regular hours Of work, regular meals
and q certain amount of instruction in the
form OF medical lectures followed by ex-
aminations. Her services, since her grad
uation, have been In demand at fifteen dol.
lars week.
While under training, nurses are often
sent out In the city to nurse, their wages,
excepting the re zular salary going to the
hospital. At this particular hospital the
nurses, physicians and superintendent
were women and il is unnecessary TO state
that in spite of hard work the nurses man
aged to have some enjoyable times.
My friend and several other nurses
rent furnished rooms in a physicians
house, which they occupy between cases or
when they need rest. Two nurses room
together, thereby lessening expense OF
rent, but IL seldom happens that both are
free to occupy it at the same time. One
comes and another goes. Busy lives But
are not the busiest people the happiest?-
Mary Slosson Stetson in Housekeeper.