Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-10
EXP ERT NURSING
Specialists Who Prefer Ger
tain Cases.
OTHERS LIKE RISKS
NURSES TELL THE ms AND OUTS
OF THE MATTER.
Watching Cranks, Guiding Babies,
Humoring the Fretful and Help
ing Incurables.
OTHERS LIKE RISKS

Written for The Evening Star.
To realize the variety of interests in hu-
man ills one should hear a group of nurses
discussing their choice as to cases. The
average nurse, when she starts out fresh
from hospital training, is ready to tackle
anything In the category, but invariably
after professional experience her card bears
such bracketed provisos as expert diph-
theria' expert insanity" expert alco-
holic" women only" mo incurables."
Maternity cases for me- said one of
private club of nurses taking tea in COM
pany 81 love to cuddle the babies and
feel that 1 influence their future so far as
their physical welfare goes. Even deli
cate baby, if treated judiciously the first
few weeks, has a better chance in life"
Maternity cases Mush and milk! Give
me something worth while when L work,
declared a capable looking woman. Il
wasn't two years in the service before
marked off every speciality on the list but
surgical. Nothing stirs my blood so much
as an emergency case. Some acute opera
ton so urgent and delicate that the pa
tents life is practically in my hands after
the surgeons have withdrawn
"Of course, the specialists head the pro
fesson," said gentle young nurse, but
hourly nursing appeals to me particularly
The hourly nurse benefits people VINO other-
wise would be neglected. There's a rheu-
matte cripple all alone in west side fur-
nished room who never has creature TO
do anything for him except the daily hour S
attendance 1 give. A boy brings in two
meals a day for him and only stays long
enough to set the tray down Others are
equally as isolated. l often do as much
cleaning up as nursing, and sometimes buy
foods of various kinds and prepare them
properly, If a stove is handy"
81 like the cases that it's some risk TO
nurse" put in another voice. Two out-of-
town diphtherias, one scarlet fever, three
weeks quarantine is my record since see
ing you last. The doctors say there are
fewer and fewer good nurses to be had for
contagious cases, even with the increased
knowledge regarding prevention
"My preference is for incurables," said
bright young woman. Chronic cases oHer
so little chance for science to work upon
that neither doctors nor specialists are
much interested in them. They're doomed
to a monotonous round of ailments and dis
comfort 1 feel anxious to hearten them up
the moment we become acquainted.
'T take men for my charge said quiet
looking nurse ''These nurses with women
only on their cards are lodging their duty,
I think No man can make a patient as
comfortable a woman can. My first
professional call was to a bachelor in lodg-
ings. 1t was 10 p. m. and as l packed my
bag I own I felt timid and was half in
cined to refuse the case l went, however
and was of real use to the debilitated crea-
ture, who needed some one to understand
and sympathiZe with him. The male nurse
is awkward and unresponsive. And shere
is proof of their smoking at the bedside of
their patients.
A Matter Of Taste.
"Cranks are my specially" stated an
other member. "And although not cata-
logued in the list of diseases and only class |
ed as general nursing, the successful treat |
ment of cranks demands special talent. |
The moment a crank becomes annoying |
and his people consult doctor the latter |
recommends trained nurse to mount |
guard A mere companion is neither dis |
Greet nor disciplined enough for the charge, |
and a maid or valet is too irresponsible
Although five years in service. 1 have had |
but one bodily sick patient to attend. |
Cranks are generally good pay and steady !
employment. But only specialist in ner-
vous and alcoholic cases can imagine the |
wear and tear.
"Its peculiar case, Miss B., we might |
as well tell you,' is my usual introduction |
weeks am busy watching the case. COM |
pairing my opinions with those which the /
family have formulated. I abandoned my /
last patient because she took to night
daytime quir4zs and crochets. but when 1t |
came to playing at meals in the dining |
room at 3 a. m, conducting uncanny games /
in the nursery before daylight, making |
bluffs at fencing, parlor tennis and other
sports at the time sacred to sleep. I re- /
signed. Another patient had the carpen- |
ter's mania, rage for conveniences. She
had closets and closet shelves built every /
where about the house; partitions run up 1
through handsome rooms and other house
spelling additions. She besieged all the
architects for plans and inspected all new |
buildings in pursuit of ideas for alteration. |
Her family were on thorns. as the proper /
ty being hers she could do as she chose /
with it. The oldest daughter feigned deli /
cate health as pretext for my presence In /
the house. The schemes I used to outwit