Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-14
THE STATUS OF TRAINED NURSES
Important Bill Before the General As.
sannhlY.

TIE y - 70 VT inHiNEA WHITNEY,
Important Bill Before the General As.
sembly.
Measures affecting the public health
writes the Columbia correspondent OF
the News and Courier, are interesting
the people at large very generally al
this time, when there is more enlight-
enment than ever before in regard to
matters of this sort. The practice OF
medicine is no longer a mysterious
matter and every intelligent man ex-
poets his physician to deal frankly
with him when he is sick. Statutes
looking towards the prevention OF
disease are backed by an enlightened
public sentiment, as well as by profes-
sional endorsement.
The trained nurse is now an indis-
pensable factor in the fight against
disease, sickness and death. The
intelligence, devotion to duty and skill
| of the trained nurse are being esteem
| ed at their right value and there Is q
decided sentiment to make the pro-
fession a profession indeed. For this
purpose 1t is proposed in this. as In
other states, to protect the skilled and
! intelligent members of the profession
| from the damage done by the unskill-
ed and unintelligent, and to safeguard
the public from imposition. Abuses OF
the confidential position of the trained
nurse have come to light in this state
and in adjoining states, which 1t Is
sought to make impossible in the fu-
ture.
The graduate nurses of the state
held a meeting here fair week and
decided, after perfecting an organi-
zation, to seek to have the general
assembly provide for an examination
of nurses similar to the examination
which the physicians pharmacists and
dentists are required to stand. This
bill has been prepared carefully and
will be introduced at the coming ses-
sion. It's provisions are as follows:
Section l. That the state board of
medical examiners of this state al
their regular annual meetings here
after shall, in addition to their present
duties, examine all applicants for reg
istration under this act, for the pur-
pose of determining the fitness and
ability of such applicants to give eff
cient care to the sick. Upon filing ap-
lication for examination each appli-
cant shall deposit with the treasurer
of said board a fee Of five dollars
($5)
Section 2. Such applicant shall fur
nish satisfactory evidence that he OF
she is 81 years of age, is of good NOR
al character, has received the equiv
alent of high school education, and has
graduated from a training school con-
nected with a general hospital of al
least twenty-five beds; where 2 years
of continuous residence training, with
systematic course of instruction is
given.
Section 8. That all nurses heretofore
graduated or hereafter graduating be-
fore January l, 1910, from such hos
pital, and possessing the above quail
fications, shall be permitted to regis
ter without examination upon pay
ment Of the above prescribed regis
tration fee. And all nurses having beer
continuously and successfully engaged
in nursing for years, and who main
| or
passing an examination, be entitled
to registration provided each appli-
cation be made before January l
1910.
Graduates of training schools In
connection with special hospitals
giving a two years course. who shall
| obtain six months additional training ir
an approved general hospital. shall
be eligible for registration without eX.
animation before January l, 1910
upon payment of said fee; or said
graduates from special hospitals shall
be eligible for registration prior tc
said date, upor passing special exam.
| nations before the board of eXamin-
ers, in subjects not adequately taught
| in the training school from which they
had been graduated.
| And it shall be unlawful after the
expiration of that time for any person
to practice professional nursing as
| registered nurse in this state without
certificate from said board. A nurse
who has received his or her certifi'
cate according to the provisions OF
this act shall be styled and known as
| nth
son shall assume such a title or use
the abbreviation "R. NJ" or any Other
letters or figures to indicate that he
or she is a registered nurse.
Section L. Said board shall keep {
register in which shall be entered
the names of all persons to whom
! certificates are issued under this act
and said register shall be at time!
open to public inspection.
Section S. That this act shall not be
construed to affect or apply to the
gratuitous nursing of the sick by
friends or members of the family
son nursing the sick for hire, bu
who does not in any way assume to bt
a registered nurse.
Section 6. That any person violat
ing any of the provisions of this act
or who shall wilfully make any false
representations to the board Of exam
iners in applying for a certificate
shall be guilty of misdemeanor. and
upon conviction, be punished by FINE
of not more than one hundred ($lOO
or Imprisonment for one month.
Section Z. That said board OF exam
iners may revoke any certificate ISSUED
under this act for sufficient cause; bu
before this is done the holder of sait
certificate shall have 80 days notice
and only after a full and fair hearing
of the charge, by majority vote o
the whole board. can the certificate
be revoked.
Section s. All acts or parts of act
inconsistent with this act are hereb,
repealed.