New-York tribune., 1899-07-14
Not ALONE THE NURSES FAULT
DOCTORS ARE CHIEFLY TO BLAME FOR
HOSPITAL FLIRTATIONs. SAYS
ONE WOMAN


Yes have read Dr. Halocks statement about
flirting nurses with much interest" said a woman
yesterday who has had charge Of nurses for ff-
teen years and who was superintendent Of the mil
itary hospitals during the late and as long as
this question has UP. think we might as
well have both sides OF IL. l have thought seriously
for time OF writing book entitled What
Know About the Doctors of NewYork.' l have
notes enough TO hl volume. A friend, who knows
my varied experiences. told me when l mentioned
the fact to her that it would make very interest
ing reading but had better take the next steamer
from New-York
Il should like to remind Dr. Hallock that a firt-
ing doesn't have TO look very far 10 find
doctor. In fact 1t isn't always the internes. but
occasionally yes oftener than occasionally. 1t Is
the learned professors who offer opportunities for
Irritation to the lighter headed nurses.
III the training schools would give the nurses
one evening a week when they could receive their
friends they would not be apt TO be carried away
with the not prepossessing internes. whom they
wouldn't look at al home. Yes confess with sor-
that have seen flirting IN wards. This Is most
deporable but the nurses are not alone 10 blame.
the firtations have seen have never been one
sided affairs. People always say much about
the nurses. and they rarely allude to the doctors
l do not wish TO disparage the nursing profession
nor the doctors. but there are plain truths that
For fifteen years have been among the nurses
and doctors with my eyes open, and l know OF
pathe that have come under my ndi
vidua notice. and have this to say that the pro-
fessors themselves might set much better exam
when asked II she had much trouble with firt-
ing nurses during the war. the superintendent
From my experience l found that the volun-
teer graduate nurses, who enlisted under the Red
Cross. did Infinitely better work than the hired
fed OF Eave m ny se o SP6 -Four &
these nurses. who received no salary. did better
work and Led more lives than the ten Govern
ment nurses sent to take their places. At the
same time I found the contract nurse superior
was the greatest menace our Army had 10 face.
An enlarged medical department is one Of the
one for the members OF the regular department
did just as well as they could. so far as they
Does. age make any difference with the flirting
Not the slightest When the question OF put
ting ar age limit on the Army nurses. excluding
IT. the sts 9a nurse 6a during y 10
perience was the Oldest on my staff She giggled
eial ena Uttered at the mere Ssh' OF mouse Phy'i
Asked II many cases Of marriage between the
nurses and doctors had come under her notice,
she said no. and continued: Anyway. 1 do not
approve Of such marriages but II is on account Of
A woman who has for number Of years been
successful in OF the best OF New
York's private hospitals said Tribune re-
porter yesterday.
Il don't know Dr. Hanock personally but It
may be he is an unusually attractive man. How
ever It is not right to condemn a whole class
Of women for the sake Of few. II a woman is
silly and sentimental she is likely TO be that wher-
ever she
In private hospitals there usually very nice
girls. though Of course, one occasionally finds ex-
ceptions As for the doctors, my personal experi-
ence has been with the finest class Of men and
never saw any OF those doctors try 10 firr 7
know. however. and you no doubt, know, too thar
there are lots Of these medical students that are
pretty CAV and II there's flirting attempted think
you'll find that not only is 'Barkis wil.in but he
usually takes the initiative A girl wouldn't firt
all by herself IL takes two. It's like q good many
things that they accuse women of-the help
EN- out.
''At a big woman's convention held here rot 50
long ago, ! heard a motherly Of wOman--snd
she a Southerner, too-urgng the necessity Of
raising the standard Of nurses. She said this Is
not TO be done account OF the nurses them
selves or of the patients they TO nurse hut be-
cause our beloved sons when they leave our fire.
sides and the sweet home influences 10 take I'D
the study OF medicine are apt 10 be drawn into
entanglinR alliances with the nurses Boshi
wanted TO tell that woman that the dra wing
wasn't usually on that side OF the house"
A member OF the Presbyterian Nurses Club said
TO Tribune representative yesterday: 1T is
seldom a any says disparaging
things Of a nurse: IL is usually women who Go
this especially II the nurse is young and pretty
Nearly ell nurses well educated. and some
are college bred women OF much character Con-
sequently when they decide 10 become professional
nurses and enter training school for that pur-
pose nothing could be further from their minds
than hirtatons and matrimony. Could they be
induced change their minds, am sure the OBJ
iect would not be doctor on hospital stan VINO
has both his reputation and fortune to make"