The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-01
A VISITING TRAINED NURSE
OPENING 4 WOMAN FOTND
~ I SW4LL TOWN.

she Helps N sicAroams. Sometimes Takes
the Place Of the Doctor and Has
Won . Place IN the Community Tier
Chnrges Lew. bat She SAVES Money.
Three years ago when declared my
intention Of becoming a visiting trained
nurse instead Of going out on private
cases I was assured that wouldn Z make
enough to pay my board said a nurse
whose home il in a small town in a State
/ in the middle West 4 have not only
made enough TO paw my board but at the
end Of each Of my three years have had
more money than | ever had in any one
year when nursing private cases.
I had heen nursing Tor I'VE years in
New York when ! decided 10 make the
break. and though had been fairy sue
cessful was not able TO save more than
500 each year Now that - very little
when you consider the duties Of trained
nurse. the wear and tear on the nerves
and the responsibilities. A yoman soon
loses her youth under such assure and.
- you znoW. feW people Want an old
trained nurse.
-IlOcated in this particular town because
the.e4pense Of living IL not high. the people
are progressive and kindly. and though
there IL no great wealth Was sure that
by going out by the day would he able
10 save al least az much a. had done IN
/ New York. Though the doctors were not
very eBcouraRinE three Of them prom
ised 10 recommend me IN the class q
cases I wished 10 undertake.
within a month was a. busy az any
doctor in the town. Il has heen that way
ever since and see DO prospect 81 le'up.
Speaking Of me an old Irish woman el-
planet 10 a neigbbor that ! was cheaper
than the doctor and did more work !
think that j. the way many Of my patients
| feel. that they Ret their moneys worth
I must say that h the way ! want them
30 feel When enter a house in which
there Is sickness DO the things that
are necessary regardless Of what comes
under the head 81 the duties Of a trained
nurse Besides attending TO the patient
personally have made fires, cooked food,
| washed and ironed bandages and poultice
cloths. swept the floor and taken care
/ Of the baby
} Ny object al first was TO make myself
essential to the people among whom !
/ worked and now like u. b. has become
/ second nature 20 me One u the things
that never liked about private nursing
was going into a house. nursing the
patient Tor woke, perhAps months, and
on leaving having the feeling in nine
cases out Of ten that the people were glad
/ TO have me 20 In all that time and for
all your eHor, YOU had made only SIS a
week and nothing more To me- It wac
/ the loneliest and most isolated OF lives
4 A. a Visiting nurse ! know my people
and they know me
Unlike their Way toward the doctor
they DO not prepare for my visits ! 49,
/ things a. they are and II generally de-
ponds on me whether or not the doctor Is
called 10. II woman has headache
or a child comes home with a fever I am
-ent Tor. not because they think my
adylc more valuable than th1' Of their
phvslcian boat because : do more
4 battle the head II the suffering woman.
make her com Portable m a dArkened room
and gc' things running quietly IN the
house The child M four Cases out Of
/ five needs ~ stay quietly indoors and he
sent 10 he'd rarlv The next morning
| 4 he Il not up 20 the mark then I advise
the doctor NV charges for two such
! visits would BE- about 81 cents each. osr-
I tainly not more than u bur where money
- scarce IN tho house not cent OF
.or,r-a the doctors charges may ~ lust
O.. little. but = prescription for the drug
rist usually follows a doctors visit. 10
o. liza people hoping for the hest and having
nttle money 10 spend send Tor ms first
] That - only one class Of patients
/ Most % my work h IN cases whore a doctor
Z - m attendance. There are people who
/ for one reason Or another can get along
/ the greater part Of the time without che
services Of trained nurse
Take a case u illness in q family where
there are several Erownups. They can
! get along very comfortably by having
/ a trained nurse visit the slckroOm twice
OF three times a day. in the morning a.
prepare the patient Tor the day. make the
l rcd. see that be- takes his breakfast com
| foTtably and get everything In order
/ for the doctor A. noon q change Of some
sort ~ Usually desirable The third visit
| 3 in tha evening and means getting thinea
/ comfortable for the night
Then Of cOurse. there are old people
/ who need only one visit dav. babies who
need % ~ looked in on Onoe a day and
minor surgical cases IN which the dress
ms nust be changed JUST ~ have no
| special dutiee. doing whatever comes 10
| hand. 40 ! have no special charges In
come instances ! charge by the visit.
/ counting the time expended 10 others
I BY the cMss regardless " time. consider
I inR only the means Of the family have
/ been told that this was unprofsasional,
bat IN a small place such point does not
count for much. especially where you
have made friends ~ your patients
often ] make visits without beine
aent for. sometimes because Of the pow
erty u the patient and again because the
patient is too -tubbop 70 admit that be
MY average earning the year around
are ~ q day EBt my room rent free.
beca Iac a woman with AN only child IT.
iered 10 lake me 10 FOR the sake Ut having
mo on hand in case anything should
happen 90 that child Nothing has hap
psned bouaims ! saw 10 q that she stopped