Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-11
Plan to Provide Trained Nurses to
Poor Patients.
CENTRAL UNION MISSIONS PROJECT
The Service Afforded in Baltimore
and Other Cities.
A LOCAL SOCIETY FORMED

| sion are considering plan which they hope
| soon to put in operation for extending to
| poor people the care which can only be
| given by trained nurses. but from which all
| except the wealthy or well-to-do have here
tofore been excluded by reason of the high
Irice that the average trained nurse is able
to command for her services.
| Just how soon the plan will be made eff
fective depends principally upon the length
| of time necessary for the mission people
| to raise the requisite funds, but that such
a scheme is an urgent necessity in this city
is fully demonstrated by interviews had by
a Star reporter with many prominent peo-
pie.
! A movement entirely Independent of but
In line with that projected by the Central
| Union Mission has been started here by
some young women, each of whom is a
trained nurse and graduate of one more
| hospitals and training schools. Some thir-
~ OF those referred to have formed them
selves into a society," each member of which
has pledged herself to go to the aid of per-
sons who may call upon her in cases of
proper sickness, even IL ii is understood
| that the family of the patient cannot pay
large fees. They will be content to charge
and be paid at a moderate rate for the
time actually employed in the home of the
patient.
The members of this society. as stated
by one of its leaders last evening have
been actuated in the steps taken by the
belief that the time has arrived when
something must be done to bring about a
better state of affairs than has for a long
| time existed between the rich and the
poor, and one way to do this, they think.
! is to extend better care to the sick among
| the poor.
The Plan Endorsed.
The plan of the young women has the
! Endorsement of humanitarians in every sec
of ha oil md $50
to secure conference between representa-
| tives of the society and officers of the Cen
trail Union Mission, in order to see if a
plan of operations cannot be agreed upon
and put in operation without unnecessary
delay.
The alumnae association of the Johns
Hopkins Training School for Nurses
Baltimore, has adopted a plan for
extending its benefits to the sick poor The
association has been brought to formulate
this plan by observing the increasing de-
mand for nurses in households where the
payment of the customary rates would be
heavy, and in many places an impossible.
tax uron their resources. and for the addi-
tional reason that frequently a nurses full
time is not needed i'm a household
The plan outlined provides that a nurse
will be sent by the association to families
schools or to sick persons in lodging or
boarding house by the hour and a moder-
ate fixed price by the hour will be charged
Tor her services. The nurses will endeayor
to instruct some member of the family, so
that the work may be carried on success
fully during her absence. Infectious dis
eases must necessarily be excluded BY
this arrangement a nurse will be able to
visit several patients during the day and
the care which is now limited to one per-
son may be distributed among many
Movement I'm New York.
In New York an initiative step looking
to the accomplishment of the same ends
has just been taken by the Young Wo-
mans Christian Association which has
formed a class for instructions in the du-
Ties OF caring for sick persons, women be-
tween the ages of twenty and forty The
course Is conducted by lady who was
formerly a nurse in one of the leading hos
pitais. and the practical work of nursing
is 10 be done under the supervision of the
physician in charge of the case. The
course consists of eight lessons and nursing
In hospitals and in the homes of the moor
under the direction of the physician
References of high character and gen.
eral intelligence are required and marked
aoaptapiilty for the work is necessary i'm
order to receive the diploma, which is to
De presented to each student who masses
successfully the examination at the end of
me course. A pupil will be dropped from
the class II she is absent without good
cause from lessons or fails to attend nron
eriy 10 the patient in her charge, if she
does not show willingness to learn and
10 opey Instructions, If she does not fol-
IN caring for patient, or if she does moi
give satisfactory evidence of ability and
character. anu
The student after graduation will NOT n.
allowed to charge more than 81 ner Well
end board during the first year of service
AIterWard she may charge So SD or sl5
according to her duties.
Course of Study.
The course of study includes personal
hygiene, sick room hygiene, methods of
Fentiiating. sweeping, busting, care of uten-
sils' temperature of room, bed making for
oeo patients, frequency of bathing, care of
teeth, hair. nails, prevention of bed sores
foot baths in and out Of bed douches. ex-
ternal applications, hot water bags hot
water bottles, fannels, salt bags poultices
mustard plasters. stupes. iodine. Imminent,
ETC.; diet, preparation of food temperature
of body, reading aloud. writing notes mack
ing trunk. emergencies.
Ihe student must be good-tempered well
educated: orderly, trustworthy, cheerful
and willing and when she becomes the
trained attendant will be expected to fill
that wide and perilous gulf which divides
the professional nurse and the sometimes
person who undertakes to care for the sick.
but whose chief characteristics are sleepy
complaisance or demonstrative Kindness.
Value of Good Nursing.
That the trained nurse-that scientific /
luxury OF the well<to-tlo invalid-is of in |
calculable value at times no one who has i
ever had recourse to her services will deny
She receives always $21 a week, or from /
SIS to $S5 IL constant and delicate care de- /
mand all her time, night and day.
But the question Of expense must needs L
obtrude itself in some families, even when /
life depends more on the constant atten-
ton. calm service and patient strength of /
an attendant than upon the prescription /
Of the physician. In such a case the
trained attendant is expected to come to
the assistance Of the tired home watcher, /
the balm Of whose presence is not embitter-
ed by the thought of the drain the price
Of her services will be upon a slender purse. |
The trained attendant will not take the
responsibilities Of the trained nurse but /
she will be well acquainted with the essen /
tials Of nursing and bring to the sick room /
those wonderful gifts Of impartial 1utE-
ment, a cool head, obedience to the physi- /
CANS orders, and knowledge and discre- L
ton In emergencies.
MI. Bailey's Ideas.
In reply to question from Star report
er as to how he liked the Johns Hopkins /
plan. as above outlined. President e. ID L