The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-10-03
TIE TRAINED NURSE psoelsM,

The trained nurse problem is one
OF the latest subjects 70 engage the
attention of the medical profession
and not few Of the lsiJy. There is
coming about, it seems, a remarkable
reaction in popular sentiment toward
a calling which should command only
the profoundest respect and the hearth
est sympathy of everyone The eS-
plantation al this. 1t is claimed, is to
be found in the attitude OF the train
ed nurse herself Not all trained
nurses are open to this Indictment It,
is freely admitted that there are many
noble and excellent women engaged in
this humane vocation; but on the
ether hand there are some. who, by
their autocratic bearing, are bringing
down upon themselves and their call
ing the righteous indignation and re
sentiment of a long-suffering public
Complaint is registered that the
trained nurse employs trades union
methods in the matter Of hours OF
service and pay therefor and that
these methods are ont of harmony
with calling which aims to be clas~
ed with the learned professions
even did the training of nurses fit
them to be so classed. which it does
not. Furthermore. the nurses some
1 of them. at least are accused of an
assumption OF authority with the pa,
tient, his family and toward the med
| zeal profession which their training
never contemplated and their duties
4 can never excuse.
1t is accepted as automatic by the
medical profession that good nursing
/ is not facilitated BY TOO elaborate in
education in professional matters, and
as a matter of fact trained nurses, as
1 a rule, acquire only a superficial knowl-
/ edge of anatomy, physiology, phar.
macy and therapeutics. A good nurse
is born, not made. Every girl is not
cnt out To be a nurse any more
i than is every man constituted
physically or mentally 10 be a
physician. The first essential is
! an aptitude for nursing. This
should be supplemented by a course Of
instruction in nursing engrafted upon
fair general education, and this
backed up by average gifts OF brain
and common-sense. Given these
things and we have q capable nurse.
+ Some one has defined the functions Of
nurse as follows:
TO care for the bodily needs of the
Patient: 10 carry ont the physicians
orders. to keep a careful record Of
! the hanpenings of the sick-room as re
CARDS the vital phenomena OF the pa
{ tent. Everything that the nurse
) needs 10 do or know may he grouped
under ore Of these three functions
ana any teaching that contemplates
anything beyond this would merelg
burden The nurse with useless theory
or inspire her with the erroneous aud
fatal idea that she IS endowed Viii
> the knowledge and skill Of the ned
cal attendant
: Efforts by trained nurses II Penn
; sylvania "a gain legal recognition II
: that state, such as theg have IN Iowa
: and elsewhere are meeting viii
; strong opposition On grounds set forth
IN resolutions adorte5 y mass
meeting Of physicians 5urists clergT
men and other prominent citizens a
Philadelphia These resolutions r.
: cite
That il IS not neeessarr ri d.
sirahle that nurses shas 81 iGsITgcf='
in subjects that relate alrass vtlall
Ito the practice OF metiesnA
a2 That the terdenrv IL som
2 nurses to assume that Ther ere 5Usr
g fed in interfering with tre -rastrreE
h or debating 10 the attending phvs5cis
> IS 10 be condemned, ana ans taachSn
{ which faVors such assumption
( fundamentals wrong
"S That nurses are not competsn
j either BY education Or experience
be considered rs consuItauts or 2
having equality Of privilege an6 dUt
e in directing the affairs q the sici
Q room. and any sort Of leEaiized i
it competence is dangerous
a n. That trade-unionism II nursin
IS cannot be justified from any stan
point whatever, since the families {
the laborinE classes, and people {
moderate income ana the poor voul
= be tire first to suffer and the hTin
8 of $25 per week as q minimum charg
!, would be equivalent 10 saving ths
I, only the rich are entitled q nursin
care and that others less favored ca
suffer or die In neglect
Is That legislation which col
templates giving few Individual
y rowe- to dictate to great institutions
e fayoring a few persons AID discrin
r inating against others permitting q
= use OF the machinery Of the state
g stife competition and DENYING benefi
to the poor while fsyoring the ric
I is contrary 70 the spirit Of Ameriea
4 liberty
$ e. That since the demand ar
g need for nurses is constantly increa
e ing, while the supply IS at all tins
y Inadequate, any legislation whit
ii would diminish or limit the supply
a. tend ia discredif or destroy the ca
* ing of the nurse wos!a he a publ
s calamity
= - That the state registration
= masses in any form is neither nece
: sarv nor desirable
Il IS That the interests Of the :
IS tient were sufficiently safeguarded