The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-02

Determination Good Health and En-
thusiaSm Requisite to Success.

TRAINING OF A NURSE
Determination, Good Health and En-
thusiasm Requisite to Success.
Boston Transcript.
There is something particularly pleasing
TO the average beholder in the appearance
OF a weli-poised young woman. clad in the
cap of the trained nurse of to-day. No one
visiting q hospital can fail to be impressed
with the devotion, the helpfulness and the
earnestness of the young women upon
whose faithful observance of the physi.
clans orders SO much depends. To one in
the happiness of health there is a restfulness
in the businesslike manner Of these nurses,
while to those who. suffering from disease
rely upon their ministrations the coming
Of the nurse is looked for with an indescrlb-
able longing that is. at times, most pa
thetic.
1t is interesting to consider the advance
mat the profession of nursing has made
and Mi5hi Be tsv l PTIp tw mav bs seari bes sair sks Gamd
on too broad lines by the master hand Of
Dickens, yet there were undoubtedly a type
OF the ignorant and selfish women who
once undertook the care of the sick. 1t was
In 1913 that training schools for nurses were
established in this country in connection
WITH Believus Hospital, New York the
and the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Boston. Now there are countless schools
all over the country and hundreds of eff
Gent women after systematic courses, in
large hospitals, are able to supplement the
doctors skill. Just what this scientific train
ing means few outside the medical profess
sion can estimate. but II is easy for the
most Indifferent person to imagine that the
combined skill Of a host of surgeons is un-
awaiting If a patient be left TO the care of
a Negligent or ignorant attendant.
one must have something more than a
desire to be among sick people to be a sue
cessful nurse. Good health is. of course.
a prime requisite in the beginning. Differ
ent hospitals have different methods, but
they vary only in details. the general form
OF oho entrance an and course of study being
must be filled out and two persons must
testify as to the acknowledgements. The
most desirable age is from twenty-five to
tendent approves the papers the applicant
enters Tor a Probationary month, during
when ume She receives no pay. The in
struction ilYcludes the dressing of burns
and wounds; the preparation of poultices.
oressingS and lamentations; the practical
wOlk!nks of MASSAGE the care OF rooms;
Nep>lation, emergencies; the cooking and
Serving of food, the use of stimulants, etc.
The student learns how to wiring out a
flannel in boiling water without scal6ing
her hands: to change the sheets while the
patient is in bed; and TO give sponge baths
to those in bed. and to register on the
clinical chart. She realizes the healthful-
ness Of absolute cleanliness, a subject up
on which she grows enthusiastic. She
must be exact in all that she does. as
seemingly little things are of vital impor-
lance. For amp in some operations
the surgeons frequently have to use from
one TO two hundred small sponges of alb
sorbent gauze. These are counted before
the first incision is made, and after the
work is over the nurse must be positive
that she has the same number as at first.
for If one of the tiny things is missing
there is n possibility that il is left in the
wound and serious results would follow.
She is taught TO observe all the symp-
toms of a patient; the pulse; skin. temper
allure, sleep, the effect of diet and medi-
cine. The management OF convalescents
is also an important part of these first
few busy weeks. Everything is new and
strange, and IL requireS all the enthusiasm
that can be mustered up as the novice
sees the tremendous responsibilities before
her. If she has been cherishing a fond
idea that the doctors do all the hard work
and her pleasant duty is TO sit by a pa
tient and fan him or offer occasional cool
ing drinks, she will have such notions
nipped in the bud. II she possesses the
determination that is to make her sue
cessful she will keep bravely on until the
time comes for her to assist at a surgical
operation. This is the one utterly dis
couraging time for the student. Few
women are able to bear such a scene un-
moved. but the horrible faintness is never
ner from continuing her studies. AT the
e operation she will. undoubtedly, have
herself in better control. and gradually she
will witness all such things with incr aasirg
scientific interest, forgetting entirely her
Another disheartening phase of hospital
work is the way that tired feet ave CT
making their aches manifest. Many a
nurse in training has stood by and me-
chanically served her superiors at a crit
zeal surgical case. and had almost no
thought beyond the agony caused by the
breaking Town of the arch of the foot.
Flat-foot is one of the severest trials of
the young nurse. 1t occasionally happens
that the probationer has to give Up for
this cause alone. But more often by wear
ing the right sort of shoes. or a support
for the arch OF The foot, she is enabled
One of the many things that a student
learns in this strangely fascinating place
a hospital in a big city-is the value of i'm
plicit obedience. She is given her orders
and must carry them out with the utmost
exactness. She rises at $50. has break
fast, and is ready TO serve In her ward at
Gas if she is on the day staff. Then there
are beds TO make, floors to sweep and other
ward work to attend to. In the midst
of this she is likely to be called to go with
one of her patients to the operating room.
Half an hour is allowed for luncheon. then
comes the patients dinner and the visiting
the nurses. Afterward the house surgeons
TO do necessary dressings. supper fol-
lows and the patients are made as com
Portable as possible for the night, and this
is looked upon as one of the most satisfac-
terry duties of the entire day. The night
force rises at 4 p m. and goes to bed at 9
a. IN. There are two months Of day service
to one month of night duty. But an
emergency may arise at any time to inter-
fere with this routine. What add to the
charm of night duty are the emergencies
If one is in the accident ward-a charm
hard to appreciate except by those who
are imbued with enthusiasm in this par
ucular direction. Yet times of varied expe-
rience for physicians and nurses.
AT the end OF the month, if she has
proved herself TO be willing, patient and
capable, the student signs a contract for
Two years and is given a cap. She will
then be employed as assistant in the wards
and Will receive $40 a month for the first
ton Is considered an equivalent for her
She is lodged and fed and her
laundry Is done without expense TO her:
put she must pay for her uniform. Every
nurse has one free afternoon each week.
an evening to herself and three or four
hours. possibly more. on Sunday. Besides
this she is sent of duty for an hour each
Gay no matter what the exigencies of the
ward may be. The nurses home is a lively
place during hours of relaxation. These
busy young women. who forget the scenes
or suffering in music, dancing and games
return with renewed strength to the wards
moving that they may have to spend half
the night with lone more unfortunate"
who has tried to end her misery by st,i-
eide. or one of the thousand and one on the
list or accidents that are so dreadful to
contemplate when human lives hang i'm the
balance.
Lectures. classes and demonstrations at
autopsies and operations are parts of the
raining Pupils are not required TO be
familiar with physiology and anatomy. but
acquaintance with them saves much
time IN the preparatory course in the hos
That there may be those who take
up this work merely for the sake of earning
a living and who shirk whenever there is
an opportunity 10 do so Is possible. but il
must be admitted that those cases are rare
and the majority Of young women who en-
ter a hospital and give two or three wears
for these duties are filled with a spirit OF
devotion and the love of personal
service. With this serious feeling comes
success, and for such women there is n N