New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-17
NURSES FOR TIE POOR.
REPORT OF WORK DONE IN CHARITY HOS
PITFALLS AND on THE ISLANDS.

The class in phllarthropic work when h'e's
every day in the United Charities Bulolhs spen,
Saturday in studying the Nurses training H'"'o
NJ BELLEVUE Hospital Miss Annie pamer' n iorm.t
nurse AZ the hospital and now resident OF hui-
fal, whore she IS interested IN Setu'meni "ork
nreraced the visit with q paper on Iialheu -N1'S
ING and the Nursing Of the Sick Poor IN New
York" The school at Bellevue was the hfs' ua'h-
ing school for nurses in America
Nursing as a profession for women" said Miss
Damer dates from the close Of the Cr!mean Nar
As 2 vocation for women il was early recorniz"a
in the Christian Church. The crying need OF the
wounded during the civil War. and the dcploTaDle
condition OF New-York city hospitals. cd me Sla-e
Charities Aid Association. organized IN May. 49,
% annoint a committee TO visit the hospitals ana
report on their condition and management heIe-
vue Is the oldes; and best known Of the city IN
s.i,utions for the care Of the sick poor II was
originally the hospital department ~ the my
Almshouse Il hulli under English RUE ]"
1875 as a combined workhouse hou@e OF correction
and hospital. Ii occupied The site ~ ne present
CIV Hall. The physician was paid xI,l year. and
! supplied his own medicine. The ablc-hoiira pau
| pers waited the sick
During the terrible yellow-fever epidemics the
Mace was crowded from cellar 20 garret The
State recommended isolation. part Of the old
| Kips Farm was bought. where the hospital now
stands Little was done until after the War OF
1872 The amshouse. st!ll standing. was opened In
| 1876 Not until 1875 were the prisoners removed
patients suffered more from neglect than from
disease Only one in FIVE that entered ever came
out alive The only nurses were prisoners and
filth OF every kind prevailed. The almshouse was
removed IN 1871 tho Island. leaving the old build
,nes to the hospital The nursing continued 20 be
done by prisoners from the workhouse They
neglected the patients. drank the stirnulanis ana
auarrelled among themselves
"A new began IN 1872, when the State Board
of Charities made apparent tho need OF trained.
intelligent nurses. and tho establishment OF A
school on the plan adopted by Florence Night
ingale.
The Medical Board consented 70 the introduce
ton OF nurses The school organized by n
few women, strong in faith but sceptical as TO
the outcome Miss Helen Bowdn (Sister Helen).
OF the London University College Hospital School
was engaged as superintendent Work began with
thirteen pupils Hospital nursing soon rose to the
dignity Of a profession. Training schools were
opened at the Charity Hospital In 1870 and yea
later al the New-York City Hospital
supervising nurse from the city school was
placed In the amshouse In 1921. but nursing not
made q separate department Continual Inter
ference on the part OF officials with knowledge
Of nursing has kept IT in ouch condition that no
| inducements offered 10 the better class Of
! women 10 seek places there nurses. Poor food
! Inadequate sleeping quarters and low salary have
denied the almshouse the service OF trained self
During the last municipal administration many
improvements were made IN me @Iinahousc. tou our
\
and two for medical and surgical service An i'm
aginary wall divides the medical and surgical de
parrnents There l0 iDcurable patients who
receive 10 nursing whatever exccDt that Of some
moor old creature almost helpless them
selves More than four hundred patients at
the mercy OF attendants wanting In SKIN and in
Nursing on Randalrs Island Is conducted IN the
same manner Public attention has lately been
directed 10 the startling vitality rates Of the In
fant-' Fospita. over forty-six thousand patients
uas.cd through these hospitals during the year.
besides the great number treated without payment
In ali the hospitals Of the city. Under the direc-
,ion OF the New York city Mission graduate OF
the Bellevue school began In 1871 district nursing
ia America The society employs eleven
nurses who work below Fourtc"nth-st Under
various auspices society and private. some fifty
nurses are employ In district nursing The work
I Is not well organized Some portions Of The city
have too many nurses 10 the neglect OF other
! localities The Ethical Society employs district
Mics Daner traced the growth OF deaconcsses IN
| America Nev-York IL far behind Boston. Phia-
delpn!a and Chicago. she says, In the organization
OF its trained nurses II Is estimated that there are
| ffteon thousand trained nurses IN this country.
oue-haN OF whom In this city. Few institu-
| lions without them.
| The major report on Monday promises to be un-
| usually Interesting Miss Mary Bowley. identified
| With Red Cross work. will report on Working
| Girls Homes" The address Of the day VIII he by
! DR. T. L. T.. Gould. THE City and Suburban
| Homes Company" after which the class VIII visit
| The new tenement houses In West Sfxty-seventh
| and West Sixty-eIghth SITS.