The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
GOOD NURSES BORN, NOT MADE
THAT IS THE IDEA or THE
HEAD OF A TRAINING SCHOOL,
Qualifications OF the Ideal Trained Nurse
More American Girls Now Enter
ing the Profession -Charity WORK OF
the Nurses - Matter OF Good LOOKS

More American Girls NOW fntef'
,nr the Profession -Charity Work oi
the Nurses Matter OF Good Looks
sI hsvs always ssid that nurses were
born, not made
The superntendent OF one OF the most
famous training schools for nurses In this
country made the statement. Then she
qualified It.
"A thorough training Il necessary before
any woman can be a good trained nurse,
and q well-trained mechanical nurse IL
better than a poorly trained mechanical
nurse; but the really good nurse, the nurse
who makes the great success, the nurse
upon whom doctors lean heavily. Is tho
woman who has the nurse spirit.
Il can hardly explain What l mean You
would understand IL. like me-, you had
seen hundreds OF nurses come and go. 1t
isn't enough that a nurse should know how
to do a thing; she should have the right
feeling bach OF the doing.
Suppose a drunken old woman Is brought
In badly wounded. She is filthy. covered
With vermin; her clothes reek; her dirty
hair 10 q mat OF tangles.
.she isn't a pleasant proposition for any
young nurse TO face. There are as many
ways Of regarding that case as there are
girls to regard.
The romantic young woman. who under
took the training so that she might battle
fevered brains and fan interesting con-
valescents, and save at least one valuable
masculine life each week, will possibly lose
her nerve entirely before the old woman.
II too plucky for that she will set her teeth
and scourge herself through the task.
.The earnest mechanical nurse will do
the work conscientiously, practically, but
with cold distaste. The born nurse will
wash that old sol and comb out her tangled
hair and take care Of her with cheerful
interest and good-natured kindness.
She won't hid her repulsion, because she
won't feel It. When I find a young nurse
like that / tie to her
Are there many Of them2' asked THE
Bun reporter.
More than you might think; fewer than
I would like
And the romantic girls OF whom you
spoke-do many Of them undertake the
training''
The superintendent laughed.
oh, the scores Of them I have met! The
and foolishness I have had q
chance to study! 1t would enrage me, II it
were not so comical and so harmless.
Tho girls whom romance has led into
training school do not have TO be con-
seriously, for few Of them ever
nurses. II they are hopeless. we
drop them.
Usually they save us the trouble by
a hasty retreat after the prosaic
md unbeautiful side Of nursing has dawned
upon them. Occasionally a girl comes
in with false ideas and absurd notions,
but with real courage and earnestness
back Of the nonsense. She sees her folly
vettles down to hard work and practical
views and makes a good nurse.
Common sense il what the nurse wants
more than anything else. not merely good
sense, but good sense Of a very common
kind. Enough Of that amounts to genius.
DO many girls undertake the work
drop out?'
"A host of them. Our course Is two
years and six months. but each student
starts In with two months probation.
The probationer has practically no response
bility and very little to do, save In the
way OF trailing around and making herself
generally useful.
sThe idea is that she shall ave a chance
to see the working of the hospital. and the
life OF the nurse, and shall decide whether
abe Is really earnest in her desire TO follow
the vocation. We, too, have a chance to
study her and decide we want her.
.There Is no use in wasting time and
teaching upon one who will not go on with
the work. Many probationers drop out.
training. Some Of them are dropped later,
for cause, or resign, but hat percentage
is small"
Even before the probation there is some
sort OF examination, is there notE
-Of course. A very small percentage
of the applicants obtain admission here.
The same is true in all reputable schools.
you've no idea OF the number OF apph-
cations we have. Within the last hfteen
years girls from all over the world nave
poured into the profession. There Is room
for them. The demand has increased
even more rapidly than the supply. but
the demand il for good nurses, ana each
year the standar Of requirement is raised.
Nursing il like every other profession.
There is plenty Of room at the top. Now
to become a good nurse, a girl u have
certain qualities. II she hasn't them,
il is useless for us 20 accept her In the school.
we send 10 each applicant a list OF ques-
tons with blanks left for answers. Here
Is the list.
you see we want TO know the age. FIX
sept In special cases, We accept only stu
dents between 2. and 81 years of age.
we ask for the height and weight. An
underSl2pO woman ls az u ulSduN dnNds'
in handling patients even II she Is strong.
IF a girl has weak lungs or there Is lung
trouble In the family, 1t is suicide for her
TO undertake nursing.
IF she has had quinsy, she will have II
again within a few weeks after entering the
school. One csnnot breath the cir with
a ward full of sick people, or work over a
sick person without taking in germs, If
there is any weak spot TO serve as a lodging
place for germs.
IF a girl is not physically sound and
strong. she has no business here. IL she
doesn't answer these questions about her
health honestly. We soon find it out in case
abe Is received.
Nationality may count against a girl.
Many foreigners are raine for nurses
here. but al other things being equal. an
Ameican-born girl has the preference.
In earlier days II was practically impos-
sible to get American nurses. American
Rirls OF the desirable class did not take
Kindly to the profession. Now. things
are very different.
THE class OF American applicants i'm
proves continually. The level Of refine
fnent, education and social standing among
nurses has changed p~henomenally. ! have
watched the change and gloried in II.
There IL only one fault with tho Ameri-
Liz