New-York tribune., 1900-05-04
TRAINED NURSES TALK.
THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE
ASSOCIATED ALUMNE NOW
IN SESSION

About four hundred members present at the
third annual convention Of the Nurses Associated
AIuun@ Of the United States and Canada in the
Academy OF Medicine. No Il West Forty-third-st-
yesterday afternoon
Mrs. Cadwalader Jones read the address OF wei
come and spoke, in part as follows:
It has often been remarked that events. which
have relation 70 each other are likely TO happen
ing schools were established at Bellevue Hospital,
IN this city the Connecticut State Hospital IN
New-Haven, and at the Massachusetts General
Hospital, IN Boston
When I WIS a girl nursing was considered either
g gift, Ike a good voice, or an occupation. Ike
cooking Every family had some member or friend
who ~as always known as porn nurse E4o
whose help was called for in any emergency In
she gave was better than none at all; but it was
anything but scientific. The born nurse hour
IN often without reference TO the doctor thus be-
coming hts colleague, so TO speak, II she approved
with him. II the patient got well the credit wes
I first knew Bellevue Hospital it employed two
kinds OF uurses-one, the elderly, stupid creature,
who had not sense enough 10 be a house servant
and who had more than taste drink; the other
the young woman Of rather lively tendency, who
always ready for a Irritation with the house
In those days It risky thing for the doctor
70 order liquor for patient, as he was likely 10
md the nurse for II and the patient none
se D9Ie -5 yna3etIc on 1e nurse was readV for
consideration 20 snuggle something in for the pa
Al present there are 3S8 training schools regis
tered IN Washington, and the number altogether
hundred TSrou1 TWO hundred and nFty 10 two hun
es @ fro t6e fteen trai8ng sehoois Of New
York City. surgeon said TO me last SUNNI er tnat
without trained nurses surgery could not stand
Mrs. Jones believed that all graduates Of train
ing schools should Join alumnse associations, and
that the Associated Alumna should publish an
of al interesting without names and articles
OF subjects Of vital Importance 10 nurses.
II her address Mrs Robb. the president, regretted
rat The concentration OF the forces Of the alumnss
lions ana fOC lat Y q
For" she said, "one can hardly doubt that the
nursing OF soldiers during the spanish-Arner-
lean War would have fallen into our hands had
our organization been completed II this had been
cone our capacity to meet properly so important
crisis would have been better understood and
appreciated and The result would have been that
not only would soldiers have received better
nursing. but ourselves might have been spared
the extra exertion that has been demanded Of Us
during the last two years in our continual ef-
torcs II support OF the Army Nursing bill. We
should also have upheld the honor OF our profes-
sionaI status"
sne stated that the chief subject that had en-
gagged the interest Of the society during the last
YEAR had been the Army and Navy bill, and the
various phases CT the problem had been studied by
many With keen interest She thought that the
need FOR better organization Of the nursing forces
Z modern basis in every country being ee
plainly demonstrated IN South Africa II had
been IN the late Spanish-American War.
Mrs. Robb reported the addition OF four large
schools 10 the association during the last year
and announced that six small general schools Were
soon 70 be enrolled.
Registration she believed be the next i'm
pcrtanr step. and said that New-York with III
local and State associations would become SUI
fcientIy representative ask first for legal recog
milton for trained nurses within its domains
Mrs Isabel Hampton Robb. OF Cleveland Ohio Il
president OF the Associated Alumne Of Trained
Nurses. Miss Helena Barnard OF Baltimore. Nd.
Is first vtce-president; Miss NJ. A Nutting, also o
~4aE- FEav7~ a-T7a
FIealv OF this city, treasurer. and Miss Mary z
Thornton OF this city, secretary.
meetings viii be continued to-day and 10
morrow the morning session beginning at
O'clock and the afternoon session al o'clock.