The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-31

charge. will carry out such orders as
the latter may prescribe.
/ The object of the visiting nurse is
| two-fold. First, TO provide nursing
care for the sick poor. who can not,
or should not, be sent TO hospitals.
| Second, to instruct the families in
! simple but most necessary methods Of
nursing, cooking and hygiene.
! Many sick persons, such as those
suffering from chronic diseases, can
not be sent to hospitals, and many
others ought not to be taken from
! home, as. for instance, mothers, whose
little children, without them, would
suffer from neglect. With intelligent
nursing, which the poor themselves
can not secure, and with proper in
struction in sanitary and hygienic
care. the lives of those who are neces-
sary for the support and preservation
of the home may often be saved,
while the children of the family may
be spared the sad, and sometimes
lasting, results of ignorance or neg
| lect.
Office Hours Necessary.
The nurse should have certain of
fee hours. corresponding with those
of the physicians, or headquarters,
where calls can be received and where
she can be located at all times. Your
committee believes the Commercial
club rooms would be the best place
possible for a nurses headquarters, as
it is centrally located, and there is
some one in attendance there all the
time. We can have desk room, and
the person in charge will take care
of all calls.
In order that the association, and
people in general, may keep in close
touch with the work, the nurse should
report to some specially appointed per
son once each day, and this person in
turn should make a written report
in detail to the association once a
month, and since we desire to inter
est the whole community it might be
we'll to publish this report. We have
secured blanks such as are used for
these different reports, and any one
can see and know just what is being
done. A call book is usually kept at
headquarters in which is entered the
name and address of any sick person
for whom the services of a nurse are
desired A summons may come for
nurse from an agent of some char
liable society, from a member of
some church society, from member
of the family, but most always from1
the attending physician. But the ser
vice of the nurse is public service, and
she should be free to respond to all
calls from all sources, and the only
reason for refusing a call should be
because her day is too full to take
one more case.
Caretakers are provided for conta-
giOus diseases, but their work is care
fully supervised.
Payments Provided
The families of the sick are urged
to pay a small fee-5 or 10 cents per
visit, though, of course, numerous ex-
ceptions will have to be made This
promotes the patients self-respect, |
and removes the stigma of being a |
charity case" Moreover, people
value what they pay for The nurse
should never give money or material
relief of any sort to her patients. 1t |
would be a mistake for her to become
known as relief giving agent. The
nurse should have list of all societies
from which relief is obtainable, and
know to which to refer her case.
1t is estimated that it costs at least !
$1,000 per year for each nurse. The |
usual salary is about SIS a month or
its equivalent, if board, lodging, laun- /
dry. car fare and supplies are pro- |
vided
The secretary of the Commercial |
club says he can provide space for |
supplies. These probably will not ex- !
coed 20 to start with. We have been .
promised wholesale prices, and many |
things will be donated.
One person should have charge of ,
the supplies, to which the nurse should |
of course, have access. The person in |
charge Of these supplies will see that !
everything needful is in stock, and if |
not, will make proper report to the |
association in order that they may be |
secured. While it is unwise for !
nurse to identify herself in any way as
a giver of material relief, she should /
have at her disposal a we'll stocked /
loan closet, from which nursing ap-
pliances may be loaned 10 the patient
under her charge. Each article should !
be distinctly marked, and the nurse
will see that they are returned prompt
ly, when no longer needed.
Personal Touch Emphasized.
The association should also assist
the nurse in special cases by sending +
a member to accompany her on her
visits, this lady acting as friend in /,
need in procuring some dainty in the
way of food, or some article of wear
ing apparel. or money to help them
through sickness.
The nurse is required to wear her
uniform during all working hours, as
it attracts attention and helps to ad- /
vertise the work and is also a pro-
lection for the nurse
We have been in communication
with various persons relative TO ac-
cepting the position as visiting nurse
here. We have an application from
Miss Benner of Cincinnati. who is at !
present with the Anti-tuhercular !
League in that city. She was gradu-
ated from the City HospitaHat Gin
cinnati after a three years course. and |
has had q social service or visiting
peri h o of the sn lIsop sG
League, and we are now Investigating
her references.