Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-29
The Training of Nurses.


One of the most interesting papers
sent out by the T. s. Bureau of Edu-
cation is the one just made public. on
the professional training of nurses
According to this bulletin there are
schools which admit candidates at as
early an age as Il asking no qualifi-
cations, except a common school edn-
cation. Other schools require as
much as u hours day of nursing in
addition TO attendance at classes and
lectures. Not infrequently also stu
dents are subjected to certain forms
of commercial exploitation.
The bulletin is written by Miss M.
Adelaide Nutting, director of the de-
partment of nursing and health. COL
umbia University. and the writer
brings sharp indictment against some
of the evils under such system. In
one of these il is declared that most
student nurses are lacking in two
main respects-they are neither old
enough nor well educated enough TO
enter upon the course of training. lit
is declared that condition which is
causing grave concern among those
VINO are struggling to improve the
education of nurses is the low stand
ards for admission The enormous
multiplication OF hospitals and sana-
taria throughout the country has led
to unrestricted development of train
ing schools. No adequate supply of
nurses could be secured through the
usual sources with the maintenance of
standards and thus standards have
been lowered or sacrificed to meet the
demands of new institutions. AS for
the educational requirements of can
didates, Miss Nutting presents these
figures
From the reports of 692 training
schools made in 1911 to the Bureau of
Education, it appears that about 35
per cent. of the total number state n.
requirement of high school or its
equivalent; about 233 per cent. call
Tor one year of high-choo work Cor
an equivaienD; % per cent call for
nothing beyond the common school:
the remaining IA per cent either make
no educational requirements what
ever, and say so in unmistakable
terms or indicate merely prefer
ence." s.
In addition, Miss Nutting charges.
the students are often exploited
She says:
Not only is all the general nursing
~ hospitals done through the services
OIL the students, but in certain in
stances the students themselves be-
come an actual source of direct and
considerable profit to the institution.
rms happens when the student enters
private hospital for two or three
years and is placed at very early
stage of her work upon special duty
with a single patient, a considerable
Zee being charged for her services In
some instances IL is said that pupils
are kept at such special Individual
work during the greater portion of
the course of their so called training.
the fees for their services going di
rectiy To the management,
But this does not exhaust the
methods by which hospitals can uti-
lie Tor their own profits the services
of their students.
Out of the entire Coz hospitals from
which statistics We're recently re-
ceived, PAS We're found sending out
their pupils into families in the com
munity for private nursing. for
periods ranging from two to 26 weeks
the payment for this service in almost
all Instances going directly to the
hospital
II can be readily seen how the eff
Tort to guard the education of nurses
by suitable legislation would interfere
with such exploiting of the pupil
nurse, and it is a we'll known fact
mat the most persistent opponents of
such legislation in the various states
nave been found among those repre-
senting such hospitals-those whose
financial interests We're involved In
maintaining the status quo.
Among the remedial measures sug-
gested in order To raise the standard
of professional training for nurses. is
advocated that hospitals adopt the
policy of paying for considerable
part OF their nursing, as well as of
domestic services which the students
are now performing, and also that
the first step toward developing
proper schools Of nursing lies In sep
arating them from the hospital and
IT'S control and placing them upon an
independent basis"