The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-03
WORK OF TRAINED NURSES
AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS DEVELOPED
IN RECENT YEARS.
rndtonanoIfs UoxpifnIs Maintain
Trained Nurses-SaIary ana
other Features.


and in Indianapolis many young women are
taking I'D this work as a lifetime occupa-
tion. Some one has said that when a wom-
an reached the conclusion that her features
were hopelessly plain or she made up her
mind she would never marry, she became
trained nurse. Whoever made this asser-
ton was grievously at fault
The majority Of women who take up the
occupation Of nursing do 50 neither because
they are plain OF feature nor because they
do not intend to marry. The most Of them
become nurses because they feel that they
want to benefit suffering humanity and be-
cause the occupation is remunerative. y
nurse who goes out to wait on the sick re-
ceives from SIS TO $25 a week for her serv-
ices. in addition to her board. Eighteen dol
lars a week Is the average wages paid In
this city by private cases.
Each Of the hospitals in Indianapolis
maintain training schools for nurses and
IN these institutions young women are
taught how to minister to the sick. The
teaching is very thorough and in the hospi-
tails the girls. by practical experience, learn
how 10 exercise that tender care that Is
necessary in the sick room. In the hospital
training schools of this city many pretty
girls are being trained in the work of nurs-
ing and each year the different institutions
turn out a class Of sweet girl graduates"
Some Of them marry after they have fin
ished the three years course and cOndne
their superior knowledge to the family cir
Gle. The theory that good-lOoking nurses
usually marry the interesting man patient
after nursing him through a severe illness
is scoffed at by some of the young women
in training in this city. They say these
stories are romances that seldom happen.
The ordinary girl in the training school is
generally a very practical young person,
who believes that quinine in allopathic
doses is better for the patient than ro-
mance-no matter how strongly it is tine
tured with the smiles of pretty nurse.
When young woman desires to enter
one OF the training schools for nurses in
this city she is taken on probation. At St
Vincent's Hospital the length of probation
Is one month. If at the end of that time she
is satisfied with her work and feels that
she desires to continue. and those in charge
OF the institution believe she will be sue
cessful she enters on a course of three
years training. During this course she re-
ceives a salary of s. a month. The hospital
Is her home during her course of training
AT the Deaconess Hospital girls are taken
into the training school on three months
probation. The length of the entire course
Is three years. The deaconess nurses re-
ceive no salary except that when they have
finished their work and are graduated, they
are given a donation of 500. 1t is an
nounced by the superintendent Of the insti-
tuition that a change is contemplated to
conform with the other hospitals of the
city. Women enter the City Hospital train
ing school on three months probation and
are paid s. month during a three years
course.
While the salary paid the young women
While in the nurses training school is not
munifcent, it is sufficient TO keep the nurse
supplied with dainty white caps, aprons and
striped blue and white cotton gowns. The
garb of the nurse is decidedly plain. The
young woman who dons it has little time
for social affairs and there are few times
during her three years course OF training
that she would have an opportunity to wear
an elaborate gown if she owned one The
girl who goes in for the profession of nurs-
Ing must make up her mind to give up the
theater and almost every other form of
amusement. Her work is at the bedside of
the sick. Her business is to minister to the
suffering and she is too much taken up
with the duties OF her profession to in
dulge in frivolous pastimes The nurse.
while in training. must devote certain
amount of time to course of study laid
down by her instructors. She must listen
10 lectures from her instructors and occa-
sionally from physicians. In the hospital
training schools. in indianapolis rigid dis
cipline is maintained. Nurses are allowed
an occasional afternoon and evening off
duty, but they required to be i'm at a
certain hour. in one institution in this city
they must be in by o'clock unless there is
some special reason why they should be re-
CURED to remain out longer. 1t is needless
to say that a nurse would hardly be ex-
cused until after o'clock on account Of a
social engagement.
1T Is not that we are opposed to the the
alter especially that We object to our
nurses going there" said the secretary Of
one OF the hospitals recently. 1T is be-
cause the nurse would be untitled for her
work the next day II she attended the the
alter or other place of amusement where
she would be kept out at night"
a majority of the young women in the
training schools in this city appear to be
I'm love with their work. As one Of them
recently said: you don't know what a
pleasure It is to nurse a patient through a
serious illness and watch the gradual re-
turn to health"
a FOREIGNERS VIEW.
Max O'Rell, in an article dealing with
trained nurses. used these words in the
New York Journal: Nurses look all cheer
ful and happy. and the beauty of their
faces I'm England is enhanced, l must say.
~ a pleasing. very becoming. semi-nun-
like attire that gives them a peculiar
charm which you find in no other women.
There is engraved on their faces that JOY
OF living which heaven seems 10 stamp
on the faces OF women who devote them
selves 10 the well-being and happiness of
their fellow-creatures and TO the assuag-
ing Of their pains and sufferings Yes,
nurses all look beautiful. and II l were a
woman theirs is the kind Of beauty which
i should Ike 10 possess. 1 remember see
Ing one by the deathbed OF a little girl
whom she had tenderly nursed standing
at the bedside mouonless. beautiful in her
impressive grace and looking like one OF
those angels that painters delight in rep-
resenting at the bedside Of children whose
souls they have come TO bear 10 the abode
OF the seraphim.
Another thing that would fr7,,oo -. ..