Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-09


iWl4klllll accumulate thereby.
II w. &c rations past
" aged women adopted
~ the calling, and the
sick .o-.,iued to the tender mercies of
these women unhesitatingly, and If no
hired attendant was employed some mem
Der OF the family, possibly maiden aunt,
who knew less about nursing than she did
OF cannibals. was installed In the sick
room. Throughout a period of some two
decades and more this world of ours has
forged ahead SO rapidly that nursing has
become recognized profession, and i'm
portant indeed IS the trained nurse to both
patient and physician.
In Washington, as in all important cities,
the nurse plays prominent part in many
life tragedies, and many are the blessings
showered upon the heads of the patient
and intelligent women who minister to the
sick of the capital city.
The First Trained Nurse,
Florence Nightingale was the first train
ed nurse. Though she had but Door op-
portunities, she managed to take a course
In a philanthropic German school, which
really was but an order of deaconesses.
who went about caring for the poor, the
MANNED, the halt and the blind. In 1854.
a. ,he eSiiHiis OF the Cr1mean war, she
went TO the scenes of carnage and blood
shed and assisted in alternating the suffer-
lngs OF stricken warriors. During the late
war numbers of women, notably Sisters of
Charity. were conspicuous for their mis-
slons OF mercy among both federal and
confederate soldiers. The extent of the
good done can hardly be realized, but had
they been regularly trained 1t would have
been Increased fourfold. Soon after the
close of the Crimean war Miss Nishten-
interested London in he
work. and an institution for the training
OF nurses was successfully organized, and,
under her management, fourished wonder
fully.
The Bellevue Training School.
In 1872 the State Charities Aid Associa-
ton of New York organized a school of
nursing in connection with Bellevue Hos
pital The physicians were inclined to
scott at the outset, for the nurses they
had known were so often immoral intern
perate and wholly unreliable.
Time proved that the fears entertained by
the doctors were groundless, and Sister
Helen. graduate from the school founded
and appreciation of all by the capable man
ner in which she fulfilled her duties as
superintendent of the school. Only five
pupils were registered during the first year,
but the Improvement in the hospital wards
was so great that demand for more
nurses was made. Women of education and
refinement began to take up tho profession,
and now the number of graduates from the
Bellevue school alone exceeds five hun
dred, who are to be found in hospitals all
over America
Refined and Intelligent.
At first the physicians believed that no
woman of refinement and education would
submit to the discipline and perform the
disagreeable duties incumbent upon hos
pital attendant, but experience has taught
kLoy,, - a.
cipal requisites of an applicant must be
the very qualities which once were deemed
incompatible with success in the profession.
To be successful, woman must be SYM
pathetic, kind and patient, but must ever
avoid sentimentaiity. Duty must take pre-
cedence over all else, and the physicians
orders DE followed absolutely, regardless Of
the private opinion of the nurse. The wishes
Of her patient or her own desires must only
be considered as far as Is compatible with
the orders of the doctor.
Nurses In Warrington.
The ray Of the nurse Is not in excess of
the services rendered, for, in private cases,
the amount Of work entailed is often really
beyond the strength of the nurse, who
patiently starts out to do the best she can.
In Washington the remuneration of a
professional nurse is $1S per week for or
diseases. Added to this, Of course, are
board and lodging while attending case.
The average of intelligence and refinement
of the professional nurse is far above that
of clerks and stenographers, and many are
the women of gentle birth who, impelled
by circumstances, adopt this method of
earning livelihood and ministering to the
wants of fellow creatures at one and the
same time In the school or hospital
where she is studying she fares well in
temporal matters. What with gratuitous
tuition. board, lodging, laundry and uni
form. and with an allowance of from So
TO for orNr
is not troubled about expense during her
three years course of instruction. OF
course many Of the duties are uncon-
genial, and the course is telling upon
health and strength, but all this must be
borne with an even temper and an ever
enduring cheerfulness. There Is naught of
romance in the profession; all Is stern re-
ality, and sentiment Is thing unknown.
is no doubt that when they do they be-
come the best Of wives and mothers.
The Typical Nurse.
With her neat gown. spotless apron and
dainty cap; with her feet incased in noise
less slippers and smile upon her face,
the trained nurse Is a balm to the nerves
of the patient and her very presence often
does more good than the doctors medicine.
Then, too, the physician knows he can
depend upon her. Her responsibility is
great, and often. indeed, the gratitude
given physician is really due the nurse
Many life hangs upon her care and
watchfulness. and sometimes, to their dis
credit be 1t said. tho people who benefit
by her work and knowledge do not pay
her. Charity cases are frequent, and
yet few nurses hesitate where their sery-
ices are really needed, and 1t would be a
cold-blc oded nurse who looked up q pa
TENTS rating before she consented to take
the case"
In this city is young Irish woman. of
gentle firth and breeding, and ancient
lineage, who studied for two years in the
Columbia Women's Hospital, graduated
and took a case which required her con-
slant care and attention for over a year
Her patient died, leaving no relatives and
plenty of debts.
This woman never received a cent of the
money due her. She was soon afterward
called to attend another case, and success
fully nursed a child through a long siege
Of typhoid fever, only to find that the
child's guardian could not pay her. Despite
this fact she knitted for the little patient
a pair Of house slippers for q Christmas
present, and also fascinator or some such
fancy article.
On Sunday last she was called to a case
in a neighborhood which betokens poverty
and want The question Of pay again
seemed doubtful She did not hesitate.
however. but took charge of the case at
once.
cy,,oL 49, me-. A. 1919