The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-03-13
Nursing as a Vocation for Women.

During the past month have had
two letters from young women asking
for aid in securing positions as hospi-
tai nurses.
They were both Of them unframed,
one of them attending leading fe-
male college in this State, and both
expressed wish to make nursing their
life work.
In this day of unrest when woman
are on every side seeking, struggling
for some means of livelihood, it is
subject of comment that so few of
them seem to select nursing as pro-
fession. 1t may be to some extent the
same prejudice which made the South
ern women of twenty years ago shrink
from becoming public school teachers.
The thought of teaching the children
of Tom, Dick and Harry seemed to be
the only side Of the question. They
did not realize that there was another
side to the position which rendered it
much easier and more satisfactory, to
the woman who would earn her own
bread, than that of teacher in private
school.
So it is with the profession Of a
trained nurse. The one great objec-
tion seems to be the fact that nurse
cannot choose her own patients, but
must nurse any one who is brought to
the hospital and placed under her
care. This is true, but in what posi-
tion is it that We can choose with
whom, and for whom, we work.
Now the chief consideration for a
woman who must 60 out into the world
of workers is the amount and certainty
of her pay. Nine cases out Of ten the
pay from corporation is more certain
than from the individual. AS to the
amount earned, there are few better
positions than that of a nurse in a
hospital, few positions where one is
called on for smaller outside expendi-
ture. 1t is not necessarily hard
life; first, because the hours are rea-
sonable and regular. The duties are
not so difficult and certainly not so
unnatural as are those in many other,
I could say most other, positions in
which women earn their living. The
many conyeniences of the hospital
render the more onerous work in nur-
sing light as compared with nursing
in ones own family. And, I am sure,
there are few, if any, women who
would consider the care of the sick in
their own homes a very onerous job.
1t is true that in the last case love
makes labor light, but 80 it is to a
great extent in nursing strangers.
They are human and suffer, those two
facts alone are sufficient to gain for
them the sympathy of woman. To
be born woman is to be born with
the natural instincts of nurse. The
desire to sympathize with suffering
and alleviate pain.
Then, why is it that more Of our
girls do not fit themselves for hospital
nurses? :? 1t is thoroughly womanly
vocation, much more so than numbers
Of other places that women are strug-
Cling to fill. I remember having been
told by one of the most brilliant and
cultured women of this State that if
she had daughters to train she would
make them take at least one year 8
training in a hospital, as she consid-
cred the knowledge gained there of as
much importance as any other that
could be taught to woman.
So, you girls who should think Of
educating yourselves to be able to earn
your own living, some Of you try nurs.
ing.-Emily McLars, IN Sunday
Chronicle.