The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-31
HOW THEY ARE TRAINED.
THE QUALIFICATION THAT ARE
NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS.
Long Hours and Trying Duties
Some Pathetic and Some HumOr-
Gus Sides to the Life-Death Mt the
HOspital-Men the More Appreciate
tive Patients.

would have put, Dickens ''fat boy" to
shame My limited but painful expe-
rience inclined me, therefore, to dislike
the entire fraternity and to believe
that every member of it was a useless
adjunct to society.
When 1 dropped in to see my friend
Brown yesterday, there was a revolu-
ton of my ideas. The fellow was con-
valescing from a fever that nearly car
ried him off, but he looked supremacy
comfortable, and 1 firmly believe the
lazy fellow is staying in bed longer
than prudence requires because he re-
ceiveS such excellent care. That nurse!
Well, in spite of all she says laudatory
of her profession, 1 believe she is one
in thousand. Pretty? Yes, and more
than that. She has big. soft brown
eyes that restore your faith in human
ity, a complexion that reminds you of
luscious strawberries and rich cream,
smile that cheers a fellow up wonder
fully, he doesn't know why, and
slender supple form that moves with
the elasticity of youth and the quiet
ness of refined womanhood. Brown is
a lucky fellow, and if he doesn't get
well he is the most ungrateful wretch
ON earth.
The young lady is very retiring. and
L
in her art before 1 could persuade her
to talk about it. When she did. it was
in a. charming, impersonal manner that
sits so well on a beautiful woman
ST hear you are trained nurse" 1
ventured. What does that mean?"
1T means that such a nurse has had
the benefit of two years systematic
training in hospital she said.
And of what does that training con-
sist?''
"Of actual service in the wards and
of hard study"
What steps are necessary to secure
entrance to training SCHOOL,"
There must be a written application
and, accompanying this, testimonials
ito the health, education, and moral
character of the applicant If these
are satisfactory. she may enter as fifth
nurse in one of the wards of a large
hospital She is understudy to the
senior, junior and third and fourth
nurse, all of whom are busy in the
ward. The work of all is superintendent
by the head nurse. She it is who
passes upon the ability of the tyro
after her two months of probation in
the ward are over"
What qualifications are necessary
First, endurance. That is the chief
essential. After that, cheerfulness.
"a
should be well educated, and she must
have sympathy, with Judgment. She
must not be nervous, and she must
know how to keep quiet"
Pardon me, but why must she be
educated? l can imagine that a woman
might nurse a person back to health
without knowing much about geom-
etry. latin or literature"
Usually she is more congenial to
ma eI iS Of cd
tastes. In the tedious hours of conva-
lescence the nurse is often the sole
companion of the patient and if she is
an ignorant woman her society will
have an irritating effect instead of the
soothing one desired. Then, too, her
ministrations will be more delicate.
There is an astonishing lack of deli
cacy shown by ignorant nurses"
What do you mean by sympathy
with Judgment
L mean that the most successful
nurses are those who are intensely
sympathetic, but whose sympathy is
held in check by their Judgment When
a patient pleads for some privilege
that the nurse knows will prove HARM
full, she must deny it. even though her
sympathies may be enlisted"
You say she must know how to
keep uuiet?'
Yes; or perhaps 1 should have put
1T. she must know what to say and
when to say it. For instance, I have
known patients fresh from the operat-
ing table to beg their attendant to tell
them the story of the most horrible
operation she had ever seen. If she
yielded she would need to look about
for reStorativeS for the victim of NOR
bid curiosity and lack of common
sense"
"a nurse should always confine her
self to cheerful topics?'
Always. She should never depart
from that rule"
I rs there any restriction as to the
age of the Applicant"
In most hospitals the rule is that a
student entering the training school
must not be less than twenty nor more
+ than thirty-five years of age
! After the two months probation is
over?''
eff the student receives the endorse
ment of the head nurse she is pro-
NOTED to the place of fourth nurse.
i third nurse, junior and senior in the
ward in which her experience was be-
gun. l am speaking, of course. of
i large hospitals, and particularly of
the one where I received my training.
She is afterwards sent to another ward.
perhaps the women's surgical, the
mems surgical or even the maternity
ward. The order of entering the differ
ent wards is not fixed, but she must
go through them all before the two
years are passed"
What time does she spend in actual
service?"
From half past in the morning till
Is in the evening, when she is on day
service. If she has reached the posi-
ton of night nurse, which is the most
difficult position on the hospital staff,
oh ic drrf To
! And during this time the student
studies as well as works."
yes: she must attend at least three
lectures week by members of the
medical corps of the hospital and
make written digests of those lectures
She must pass six examinations each
year. and the final or test examination
requires an average of SO per cent in
every branch"
Are not all these duties a severe
tax upon the health of the STUDENT
eyes. Very few after having passed
through a training school for nurses
keep the strength they had when they
entered"
1 do you think the course is too ex-
acting?"
81 do. I believe there might be less
study and the course would be equally
effective. There is tendency to
tighten the duties in that direction"
DO many fail who undertake the
training?"
"a great many. Forty-five enrolled
in NV class and only eleven received
certificates"
How do you account for that?''
Most of the failures are because OF
lack of adaptability."
when the nurse has received hel
training does she prefer remaining In
the hospital or doing private work
"She remains in the hospital, unless
!. she is under the necessity of earning