Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-31

The impossbility of keeping exact rec
ords, the failure on the part of the
family to carry out directions, the
emergencies arising continually with
no skilled aid to meet them, the de-
lays in meeting ordinary indications
these are some OF the evils that have
been rennedied by the present system
of educated service for the sickroom,"
AS late as 1879 some women who
were in the habit of rninistering to the
INDECENT sick in the free wards Of
Bellevue hospital New York, made UP
their minds that the lack of proper at
tendance was doing more toward re-
tarding recovery than any other one
thing. They found the corps Of nurses
in the institution to be totally inade-
qua>s to discharge its functions. In
many instances these nurses, SO cali
ed, were markedly illiterate, immoral
and Incorporate and made little effort
to carry out the directions Of the at
tending physicians. y
AS these facts became known to the
visitors, who were both influential and
deeply in earnest they were outspoken
in their opinion that something should
be done at once toward working a re-
form One of them had obtained some
knowledge Of London institution
which was preparing trained nurses,
and she suggested that the experiment
be tried at Bellevue. Most Of the menu
bers of the visiting staff of medical
men were skeptical as to the outcome,
but the women prevailed and the
school was opened with Sister Helen,
a graduate Of the London institution.
as first superintendent. That was the
beginning of the great training school
which has turned out SO many hum
dreds of ompetent women and has
FURNISHED so many superintendent and
head nurses for other hospitals.
The preliminary literary training, the
rigid course in hospital, lecture room
and laboratory, extending over three
years under the guidance of the fore-
most representatives of the profession
Of medicine; the discipline, almost mill
tary, administered by superintendent
and duly appointed boards, all bring
the trained young women to high
point Of efficiency and have made
them Indispensable to both patient and
physician. Occasional complaints are
made of their punctiliousness and
domineering manner, but these faults
are rare in those whose Judgment has
been refined by contact with the world.
There is no calling open to women
that is, more lucrative than that OF
trained nurse Her remuneration
ranges from s25 to $50 per week, with
board and lodging included. Provided
that she hold a diploma from a first
class training school her services are
always in demand. and very often she
may choose from among a number OF
places. A list Of Its graduates is kept
at every hospital school, and every
physician may refer to it when the oc-
CASTOR arises.
In no other profession is the student
better provided for than while pre-.
pairing herself in these training schools
She is housed. fed. looked after care,
fully and even paid small allowanc,
for text books and the purchase o
her uniform. Her tuition is of course
gratuitous. During the three years o
her apprenticeship she Is required t
be on duty in the wards.
She must first remain on probation
for several months. and. II al the emf
If that time she has shown herself IN
fitted for the requirements of the pc
sition, she is asked to leave. Person
not in perfect health are not Above,
to enter the school, for the strain bot
physical and mental is very severe
Intelligence conscientiousness. an eve
temper and cheerful disposition ar
! ali necessary to success, and ohedienc