Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-02-07
THE TRAINED NURSE PROBLFM.

THE TRAINED NURSE PROBLEM.
The present status Of the trained
nurse question Is menace to The com
murity. demanding attention and in-
terest from the public whose sick are
AZ the mercy of ihese useful persons.
The situation has become so acute that
a recent session Of the New York Acad-
envy Of Medicine was devoted 20 its
discussion. One Of the speakers,
hospital and family physician, referred
70 the prejudice that has arisen against
trained nurses. many OF whom bring
discord into the household because they
heve not been taught 20 adept them
selves 90 an engironmet which differs
decidedly from that Of hospital.
The training school problem was dis
cussed by superintendent of large
training schools. who deplored the
scarcity of gord material which was
formerly sufficient. and who offered
various remedies lt WAS suggested,
for instance, that the qualifications for
admission To tire training school had
been lowered by the smaller hospitals
that were springlng Up everywhere
and whose graduates lowered the re-
spect of the public for the calling.
The minimum educational requirements
was stated by one of the superlnten
dents TO be ian elementary knowledge
of Latin, chemistry. anatomy, physi
ology and bacteriology; the pupil who
knew less was dangerous person to
entrust with drugs and diet as now
prescribed" f" To the layman all this
learning would appear unnecessary,
for the doctor gives directions IN Eng
lish. and the chemical or bacteriologi
cal work should be done by the physi
clan. Is it surprising that such re-
quirements drive many otherwise cap
able women to schools that are less
exacting? To meet this difficulty It
was proposed by one OF the medical
speakers to establish three grades of
nurses. THIS plan was shown to he
quite impracticable by one of the sup
erintendents.
The large fees complained of, which
have become prohibitive for persons in
moderate circumstances, were justified
by the fact that nurses are not receiv-
ing larger remuneration now than
twenty-five years ago, although the
cost of living has enormously increas
ed. The true reason is probably to be
found in the demand being in excess of
the supply, as well as in the lowered
grade of the nurse from correspondence
schools and small hospitals who exacts
the same fees as the graduate of the
best schools.
The greatest danger to the public |
comes from the correspondence schools, |
which according to the statement of |
ore Of their promoters furnish 80 per |
cent of all nurses IN this state. That |
il is ute as impossible 10 train a nurse
without bedside lessons as il is TO train /
a coctor would seem TO require no |
argument. The solution of this vexa-
tious question would appear TO be sim
pie if ili plicants for training were
grad,u according 10 their eCucstion
and int, iisence aud all applicants for
the diploma were judged by one stand
ard. ,iiiciency To require young
womau who knows Latin and ehemis-
try and has other evidence of a good
education TO train IS hong aa one Of
less fts slasenee or education would ap-
pe4 saue ssry. Just as the grad
uat Gefa aa eoiiege is permitted
to "a $ hi military training in one
year instead Of three. 50 may an edu-
Gated wcman learn all that she needs
in twelve or eighteen months. Two or
more grades should be established for
admission, and the pay of these grades
may oe apportioned accordingly But
all nurses should be subjected to a
practical examination by State board
of examiners for licenses. Separate
licenses should be given for surgery
and for medicine. New York Sun.
An eminent musical artist advances
the rather startling idea that the per-
functory handelapping which IS always
in evidence at concerts should be
abolished. He holds that the tribute
which artists really appreciate most is
that moment of tense silence which in
tervenes between the close of really
appreciated number and the noisy ap-
plause tnat breaks the spell. So much
has been heard about 1.-THE thirst for