Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-03

of the city, from whence her patients were
mostly drawn. Ii was even long liHlS
before the young house physician couId
bring himself 20 understand that the Tram
ed nurse "a. there as his assistant and
mot as his -rvant. In private lamlhes
outside the sick-room, II was hard 10
know what to do with her. She was
neither for the kitchen nor Tor the dIdW-
ine-room-and she was often placed in
positions that required from her not only
tact, but a large amount Of fOrbearance.
But time has helped 10 settle the question,
and a trained nurses position now is
largely what she herself makes 1t. Occa-
sionally, one still notices trace or the
old prejudice and of the feeling that a
hospital nurse has not position on par
with that of other intelligent, rSnred
woman. In England public sentiment
upon this point is more enlightened for
the reason that from the very start nos
pital nurses have been largely recruited
from the better social ranks.
From the present status, then, as
profession, we come to conslderaliOIi
of nursing as a work In which eduCdtSu
women may look for an occupation anu
career The desirability ana Importance
of having well educated women ensaee
I'm nursing work are not Tar 10 look IoI'
but l think that those VINO nave up 10
the present time written upon the SUB
iect of occupation for college women nave
not appreciated this fact. l mo, now
ever. that some few college graduates now
hold POSITIONS as SupClllttNNtit9 Va u an
ing schools; and statistics from ABROAD
from Newman, GirtOn, ana victoria Col
, lege Belfast show that some OF the4r
| graduates have taken up hospital work
/ The attitude Of college women in AmeIl-
1 ca would seem TO be mainly due 10 the
| fact that they still have the impression
/ that nursing chiefly consists in manual
| labor, and that there is no necessity or
scope afforded by 1t Tor a high degree OF
/ education. | think they fail 10 recognize
/ that the opportunities for the trained
/ nurse have increased and are growing
! every day, for they are very much greater
| now than they were ten years ago %
| great a variety and scope of WOlk Is now
| offered to her, and so much more Is now
| required of her, that il would appear that
she is limited in her opportunities Ohly
: by her own limitations. But even sup
| posing that she chooses nursing as heI
! ire-work, il is hardly possible Tor ner 10
/ have too much education. As her knoNl-
| edge is Increased so will the interest III
her work increase because IT can DC zone
The development of bacteriology has
| done much 10 place medicine upon a sci
entifc basis, and with IL mas arisen tle
necessity for a watchfulness over a va
! rietV OF diseases which require hlSh or
der OF intelligence and comprehension the
lack of which was perhaps not so lmpOr'
tant when drugs were considered cure
alls The specifically educated woman
with an unframed mind Is at distinct
I
| hospital to-day. AT present some OF OuI
remedies or preventive measures must ap-
pear TO the uninitiated TO be very vague
and far-fctched, aud since nurses after
all are only human, the conscientious car
rying out of them can hardly be expected
unless the intelligence 10 appealed TO.
What, for instance, are We 70 under,
| stand by cleanliness? For the uniniuateo
the sense seems indeed 10 be very clear
and yet there is "A deeper meaning which
can only be appreciated by those whC
have mastered at least the broad princi-
pies of bacterlology. How hopeless ant
dull, not 10 say irritating, would De the
many WaShings and the various dnusepQ1
applications which are required from -,
nurse by the physician unless she hao
learned from bacteriOlogy 10 appreciate
the fact tnat there exists surgical,
micrOscOpical cleanliness. To fully appre
ciate the effect upon the patient OF me
air he breathes and the food he eats, th'
nurse must know something or chemistry
ventilation, and hygiene. For the proper
care of the body she has 10 go TO physi
ology; TO become acquainted with the bes
forms and preparations OF food by whlct
the greatest possible amount OF bodily
resistance TO disease is established an,
maintained she must supplement hel
knowledge OF chemistry, which can hardl!
be too great by the practical demonstra
tons of the diet school. Such matters o.
detail are usually intrusted 20 the nurse
She alone can devote 10 them such con
slant and unremitting attention as is ne
cessary and no woman can have too
much preliminary education, even II she
remains, as II were a private I'm th'
ranks Of the legion Of trained nurses al
her life. and no college woman need feal
that her education will be thrown away.
But for those who have had the ac
vantages Of a college education many
other fields are open. Positions as super
intendents Of nurses and principals u
training schools afford plenty of scOpi
Tor the hishly-educated woman, and IN,