The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-21
THE NURSES TRAINING
HOSPITAL METHODS DO NOT FIT
THEM FOR PRIVATE SERVICE.
0verrigorOus Discipline to Which
Young women Are Subjected Dur
ing Their Probation.

New York Evening Post.
Nursing is one of the most popular pro-
fessions among the women of to-day. but
few people who admire the quiet, capable
woman in immaculate uniform who moves
about so noiselessly in hospital ward or
private sickroom realize the difficult. tedi-
Gus and often dangerous ordeal of hospital
training, or take into consideration the
many who emerge from it with shattered
nerves and health irreparably impaired.
In spite of her undeniable knowledge and
capability in her chosen profession, there
exists a widespread prejudice against the
trained nurse. Many object to employing
her on the ground of expense, alleging that
just as good service can be obtained from
a well-trained convalescents maid who can
be engaged at one-third the weekly salary
that must be paid to trained nurse. or
even from the nurses supplied by such in
situations as the Young Woman's Christian
Association, women whose aptitude for the
care of the sick comes from practical ex-
perience rather than theoretical training.
This is partly the fault Of the training.
The hospital schools for nurses are free.
the only payment for tuition being the serv-
ices of the students. This robs the pupil
all-around practical education in all
branches of nursing, or that she be allowed
time for study and experiment. A woman
may enter the training school with the
firm intention of learning all there is to be
learned about surgical nursing, the best
paid branch of the profession, and remain
there her full three years without ever
seeing the inside of the surgical ward. Or
she may use every effort TO acquire gen.
eral practical knowledge of all branches
of nursing, and be restricted to one ward
for her full term of service. OF purely
theoretical training she has no lack, but
even under the most favorable conditions
she has little time or opportunity for the
real work of nursing the sick.
TRIALS OF THE PROBATIONER.
candidate for admission to the train
ing school of a hospital has first to face the
trials of 'probatiOner" For period ex-
tending from fouI weeks to three months,
according to her ability or the caprice of
the superintendent of nurses, she is on pro-
baton. Her position and duties during
this time are not unlike those Of flag in an
English public school. All the hardest and
most mental tasks fall to the lot of the
probationer, and the little she learns must
be from intuition observation. She is not
prosecuted as freshman in a college would
be, but Is simply treated like a servant and
Ignored by all the nurses So marked is
the attitude of every one towards the hap
less and humble probationer that the very
children in the babies ward refuse to obey
her, appealing from her in every instance
TO the LADY with the cap
The probationer must be ready for duty
at o'clock in the morning, having been
allowed one hour for dressing and break
fast. Her first task is to count and sort
the soied clothes from the ward to which
she has been assigned. This Is done in a
small, sitting lavatory, with the result
that the probatiOner sometimes ends her
hospital career in the isolated ward be-
| fore she has a chance to receive her cap.
After getting the clothes disposed of as
| quickly as may be, the probationer is sent
| to the diet kitchen TO bring in breakfast
| for the patients in her ward, and after
breakfast IL is her business to clear away
| the trays. Then she must put in order the
| writing table of the head nurse, where all
| the records of the ward are kept. Pens,
| ink well, everything on the desk that is
scrubable, including the desk itself, must
| be scrubbed every morning with some mod
| and sand, and while she is in the scrubbing
| business, another hour or two is profitably
| employed by the embryo nurse in securing
| the brass of the bedsteads the solution
basins, all the instruments used in the
| ward, and everything in the lavatory. Then
| she dusts the beds and the medicine clos
| cts, and helps 10 straighten up the beds for
| the physicians round at 10 o'clock If the
ward is full, she may, when her busting and
securing are finished, be allowed to help
the nurses take the temperature and res
| practical experience in nursing.
After thirty minutes for her MONDAY din
| ner, there is more cleaning for her to do,
| usually enough to keep her fully occupied
| until Ii Is time for her 10 sweep the crumbs
out of the beds, fold and lay aside the coun-
ward for the night. At this time she has
| another chance for the tired patients must
| have their aching backs rubbed with alco-
hol, and she is usually directed to do
that.
| ADMISSION TO THE CLASSES.
| After the number of weeks or months re-
| quired for the superintendent Of nurses to
| decide whether the candidate may or may
not be admitted TO the training school, the
probationer. If the decision be favorable
| receives her cap and is admitted to the
classes. She has acquired a thorough
knowledge of scrubbing. dish washing. and
general cleaning, but of services to be rem
dered to the sick she has learned almost
nothing. One of the rules Is that she must
| never ask senior nurse how to do any,
thing. If she is given order that is to
her unintelliglble, she must guess at Ii and
| do the best she can to obey. If IL happens
| to concern some service to be rendered to
a patient, the patient may suffer through
| the Ignorance of the novice regarding the
| proper use of some unfamiliar hospital ap-
| pliance. but what is that to the preserva-
| ton of hospital etiquette?
| With her prom tion to the rank of Junior
| nurse, the probationer must purchase set
of textbooks, set of nurses instruments,
| consisting of scissors. bandage scissors
and forceps for handling infected articles,
| three dresses, one dozen aprons, and the
requisite number of caps and collars, all
| from the hospital stores and at full retail
| rates. All tbs garments must be made by a
| dressmaker approved by the superintendent
of nurses. and, of course. according to uni
form, down to the smallest detail of seam,
button, and pin.
After her class work begins. the new
junior is relieved of some of the more
mental work she has been accustomed to
do. If she is assigned TO night duty, her