The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-05-03
VALUE OF DISTRICT NURSING.
Philanthropy in Force Here Discusse'
by St. Adams Messenger.

One of the many latter day lnstltu-
lions of practical philanthropy that es,
peciallv commends itself to thoughtful
men and women wherever it has been
tried is the so,called "district nurs-
ing. " The benefits of such a service
are so immediate, real, and tangible as
to remove it completely from that aIto-
gether too wide field of efforts for the
general public good in which specula..
lions and theorizings are the basis OF
GOOD intentions whose fruits are uncer
lain. The idea of instituting such a
service in st. Adams has been more or
less discussed at various times IN the
mast wear or so by various people
prompt in such public spirit and has
only recently been revived among them,
In this connection, therefore, they and
the public generally may be interested
10 read these extracts from the second
annual report of the Brattleboro Memo
rial hospital which has just come TO
hand. The first is from a text descrlp'
tive Of the service:
s'The aim of district work is to put
good nursing within the reach Of all, III
town and country, whether or not the
patient be able to pay for services rem
dered Contagious diseases cannot De
taken. owing to the danger of carrying
infection. Barring these, the nurse
goes wherever a physician calls her, ana
the ability of the patient to pay IS de-
cided afterward.
"In hundreds of cases no charge Is
made, In many others the fees are
greatly reduced, .-..,- ,
''There are in every community d
great many families who cannot aHoTu
to engage trained nurse and often 90
not need the entire services OF one;
but require skilful nursing at a Crisis
and subsequent daily visits from a
trained nurse. These people do not
want charity. The district nurse offers
lust what they do want. She renders
the services they need at the prlce
which they can afford. AS an hour
daily attention from nurse IS all IhaI
many patients require wage-earners are
not the only ones who avail themselves
of the visits of the district nurse.
s.The income from pay patients has
practically sustained the charity WORK
during the past year. :.
The whole story of the aims OF DIS
trict nursing and the practical results
within its accomplishment is succlnctly
told here. Few that read these lines
will question for a moment the prooa'
bilitv that social service of inestlm'
able value to the community and to the
generation would result from the or
ganization of some plans for district
nursing in st. Adams. The work Is
seen at once to have distinctly prac'
teal aspect and to be so adaptable TO
the varying needs of all classes OF peo'
ple as to serve a wide range OF bene'
fits from out and out charity to mere
availability of hired professional ser
vice.
The report of district nurse PRINT,
ed in this Brattleboro hospital report
plainly suggests various incidental ben
efits that may be brought about through
this district nursing plan:
SIN handing in the report on district
nursing, l would like to remark that
during the past year the work has
grown more like what is known as
hourly nursing-that is, the care of the
patient for an hour or two in the
morning or evening or both-and all
night calls. There has been very little
dressing of infected wounds arising
from neglect and so frequently met