The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-03-13
IDIoSYNCRAsIEs OF THE SICK.
Annoying Things That Nurses Have
to Put Up with in Following
Their Calling.

educated young woman than that OF
the trained nurse. 1t was, then, with
some surprise that q. Sun reporter
heard one exclaim impatiently: "Will
this nurse fad never stop?" as she
tossed a newspaper aside.
What is the matter?" the reporter
asked.
Now" said the trained nurse, II
lave nothing to ay,against the beau
ties of my profession-tha is as each
one views it. Handsome is that hand
some does, as good old DR.. Primrose
said. Its the rewards 1 want to talk
about. Every girl who did not know
what else to do with herself previous
to the halcyon marriage epoch used
to slide into school-teaching. We all
know the result--poor teachers and
poorer teaching. But nowadays she
tackles the trained nurse profession
as offering higher salary and an en-
viable chance at masculine compan-
icnship while learning it. Result,
about the same as with the uninspired
school ma'ams. | wish some of those
contemplating entering my profession
knew the truth in the matter; then
perhaps they would not be so eager to
enter it. Just let them listen to me.
my first experience on returning
home after graduating from college
was to find my father dying and his af
fairs in very bad condition. 1t be-
came evident that / would have to look
out for myself very soon, and my
thoughts were turned into the chan
nels of professional nursing by the
young woman who was attending my
father. She was a splendid type of the
professional nurse, as she should be,
and could not but think that pro-
fession followed by so rare a type of
womanhood was good enough for the
sister of bishop and the niece of an |
archbishop. My father died, and en-
tered as probationer at St. Joseph's
hospital, in St. Paul, MINI. l loved my
work, and found my ten dollars a
month a fair enough recompense for
my time and the somewhat qualified
three years hard work, when l was
fitted to do for myself, l found that
S25 month was all l could expect as
regular trained nurse in any hos
pital, board and lodging being, of
course, thrown In. AS a superin-
tendent l might get $500 to $500 a
year, but there was no blessed mean.
] thought the west might prove an
exception, and, having friends in New
York, came east, where took charge
of the operating-room in hospital.
What did / get there? Twenty-Five
dollars a month, as before. Then you
must remember the arduous duties,
long hours lack of society, rigid dis
cipline and rotation to night nursing.
II decided to leave hospital nursing,
and | have worked on private assign
ments ever since-when l could get
them. You get S25 to s35 a week, the
latter il the case be contagious, are
treated as lady, and have every con-
If you don't mind idiosyn- (,
crasies. There is the idiosyncrasy
which forgets to pay you and the
ioctor until the person gets sick again.
Then there is the idiosyncrasy pos .
'essed by the lady who months ago I
howed me her fine gown and hat, 4
which cost hundreds, and soothingly ,
assured me chat her husband would j
Jay me some day. She had paid me for
week when / left, keeping back ten
lollars of the sum her husband had ;
'iven her for me, and then borrowing 6
wo dollars from me to pay for the
she invited me to. They are
n Philadelphia now. and have heard !
lothing more of the bill or the loan.
N, that's not so unusual, either"
"And. yes" broke in her chum, "then I
here is the idiosyncrasy of the old !
amily physician, who refuses to rec ]
gnize you" I
'And gives all his orders to the
mother of the patient while you are I
for their fulfllment," pur' ]
ued the bishops sister, hotly. "And
he idiosyncrasy of the patients wife, !
tho won't let you read, and you must
roam hours with your hands in your ?
up doing nothing" =
"And the idiosyncrasy of the house
old that drives away all the servants
1st as you arrive on the scene,"
himed in the chum, 'and you have the .
ouse to run and the patient to cook =
DR." =
"Oh, never had that" said the bish- '
p's sister. my doctors have only
cases. But the worst
lio-"
"Syncrasy is that of fate, which only z
- Il Il