New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-03
REGISTRATION OF NURSES
REASONS WHY STRENUOUS EFFORTS
ARE PUT FORTH FOR OFFICIAL
RECORD OF NURSES.

Jane Toppan was not trained nurse"
This is the rallying cry Of the trained nurses OF
New-York in their winters campaign 10 secure ON
cal registration for their profession in Newt OK
state. The deeds OF murderous Jane Toppan, con-
victed Of poisoning long succession OF FcuIns
committed TO her care were things TO cast
shadow over the whole nursing body in the pubic
eve Yet she held no diploma and was graduate
of no training school She was OF that floating
body Of unattached nurses. wearing the blue ana
white Uniform. accepted by the public as trained
nurse. and occasionally disgracing those who hold
The hard earned diploma
lane Tonnan. Of course, was an insane degener-
ate She cannot be taken type OF even the
unframed nurse. But there are plenty OF women
ssv the trained nurses. who bring reflections upon
the guild in q lesser degree The probation system
IN the hospital training school is primarily respoh
sble for this The candidate enters probat ionary
ueriod varying from month in The smaller SCHOOLS
20 wear in The Presbyterian Hospital Of this city
At The Of this time she may be rejected as ufl
for nursing.
But meanwhile she has gained an insight into the
workings OF training schools. She has learned no"
70 wear the uniform She can talk glibly Of WARDS
and operating rooms and quote the names Of SD
perintendents and physicians She has become
family shattered with professional lore enough
40 TO deceive the layrnan She goes out and regis
tiers At some unofficial and irresponsible registry as
q trained nurse. She actively can'asses IN heT oN"
bshaf The FIRST case affords foothod. ana she
goes on until something happens which brings dis
credit upon the whole nursing order She may De
merely incompetent OF she may possess a rsck-
lessness IN the use Of drugs and opiates "hich
never characterizes the trained nurse. whose car
dinaI Principle Il is TO give medicine except
under the physicians orders. Two or three terri
bic things have happened in New-ForE In TINS con-
necrion. in which the event initiated against the
nursing profession
THEIR ONLY PROTECTION
II IS as a protection against this poaching that
the nurses organizations VIII offer theiT bill IN the
afn,rP
mite necessity IN the training schools. The only
protection then is the Official registration OF
trained nurses by plan based on that followed
Ia the medical profession. II took the doctors OF
Neyv-York ten years 10 secure the comparatively
recent legislaIion which provided for examination
and registration in their profession The nurses 90
ask for examination by the regents Ihoueh
MANY think this should be their ultimate OBJECT
They ask Al first only for the official registration
% nurses holding diplomas from accredited Tram
ing schools This would exclude another class OF
nurses. who. while not exactly pFetenoers nave MOI
received general training. They hold certificates
from sanafoltuIns institutions devoted 10 SPECIAL
classes Of distase These ceruhcates testify TO d
certain amount Of time, perhaps SIX months. spent
IN such institutions. and are easily contounded by
the layman with the diploma winch guarantees
fun training in general hospital work
Under the provisions Of the bill the State Board
OF Regents through Offices in the various citles
woDlo register All graduate nurses. WIN d STATE
rent Of the school from which they received their
diplomas BY tnIs simpie eXpeolent both the public
and the trained nurse would be protected. and the
UEus4nea uil - would not De inJu4ed feopie
would hUCrty 10 employ any ohe tney cnOse,
but II disaster arrived blane would Iali where IL
helODRed M, euorI be necessary TO induce
nurses o register. il would be TO their ad-
vantage 10 do ne names OF registered nurses
would bc published in book form, which would be
IN the hands Of all physicians or OF any one de-
string consult IL Whether TINS NOulo auoro Idil
protection or not IL DrOflemauc-
Every little country and village hospital, SAID
DR. s. Weir Mitchell recently ana even private
hospitals send out nurses supposed 10 De trained.
They expect to compete on even terms and Tor
Ike WAGES with women who have had the dis
cipline and training Of our great schools: Inc
same evil exists in nay own profession. Not All
nc schools ~ medicine equally competent 10
EDUCATE the doctor For us, however, the law pro-
gidce a State Board OF Examiners IN theory thls
excellent IL practice IL does not YET Work as j.
might II admits the best u Goes h0t Keep GUY az
"a should nor mas II notably stimulated methods
n education"
THE SOCIETIES AT WORK
All movements toward raising the standard OF
the nursing profession nave enanated from the two
national nursing organiZations-that OF the Asso-
asted Alumnse. which enros I'VE thousand nurses
nd that Of the hospital superintendents One re-
auiremenl earnestly pushed il that al probationers
admitted hold high school G.yLou1a. ! lis
requirenne a Is ryesdc nov rezrE ai &c learns
raining schools The eX-eas ion % lhs 'Isl.lih-
snc has been adopted ~ z few - tie AEsf ci-as
choos
The subject n changing ne tine 2onorso eNst o.!
sreEnunerating the nurses en1lng we. gyrls- az.
requiring ftenn. instead 70 pay for lh- 0i'i'Ns =