Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-04-22
HONESTY IS ;
Ch|GF ASSET
DR.. E. P. Quain Discus.1s thu
Qualifications Making fol; Sue.
cessful Nursing.

Dr. n. l.. Vualn gave Il worry H.
teresting address upon Surgical
nursing, 1t follows in part:;
The chief object for which we
struggle during life is to{.be hap
by. The constant aim stimulating
all our endeavors, the purpose of
all improvement and innovations
put in practice in the human en-
vironment during the ages that
lie behind us has been to make
our existence more toleraINc, more
pleasant.
OF all the devices inTtiated by
man to make his existcnee hap
pier, aseptic surgerx| ranks
among the foremost. MI that a
man has he gives to SAVE his life
and to escape pain he sometimes
chooses death. D.
Modern Surgery.
Modern surgery as YOU know
has made possible a rapid. return!
to health, life and usefulness Of
an untold number of human be-
ings, who in older days were
doomed to continue suffering and
early death. The sub.jectgof surgi-
cal nursing might properly be dis
cussed under two general heads,
the operating room Nurse, and
the nurse who takes care Of the
operative patient. We shall not
try to check up and define the dis
tinction between the 1.-TWO, more
over, in the conditions prevailing
in this state where larger hospi-
tai and surgical ceutsrs are far
apart and surgical emergencies
therefore must be and are met in
scores of small and out of the
way places, or frequently becomes
the duty Of a nurse to qualify
both for the operating room, tech
nique and for the 'aftercare of
the patient.
Good Conscience Valuable.
In one of our textbooks for
nurses, there is afFtdc end of the
lesson an aseptic Jtechnique, "a
list Of things to raaember"-one
in particular coming, near the end
of the number, seems to sum up
all that have gone Before, it reads:
"A good conscienceis the first and
greatest qualification for operat-,
ing room nurses."1
We have extended the meaning
of operating room dnrsc to include
every surgical nurse. Unless there
is a prompting from within, which
allows no mental or spiritual peace
until the work at. hand has been
done as well as ifthe patient con-
cerned were a dear friend, a Sis
ter, or a mother, the nurse is not
fit to guide a surgical patient to-,
nor through, a crisis.
Truthfuln3s an Asset.
Absolute truthfulncss in the
nurse is Of such great Importance
to. the surgeons that / doubt
whether the majority in your pro-
fesslon appreciate it. It is said that
ito err is humatJ" All nurses arc
human and sone are decidedly
more so than others. We must ex-
pect therefore that even a well
trained nurse will make mistakes
at times. It may be that mental or
fatigue predisposes to an
error Of judgment or to a mishap
in the performance Of a certain
!
Accidents Will Happen.
Accidents Will happen to all of
us, even after ihc best Of precau-
But when a mistake has
been made, the only favorable
method for a nurse to pursue, is
to tell the whole truth and nothing
but the truth. The doctor, if he
is worthy Of the title will forgive
you for hundred mistakes if you
own up to them, but he may never
quite forget ,Dne instance Of false
hood, nor am!cffort to shield your
own shortcomings by blaming an
innocent. IL the choice lay between
! nurse of superior ability, but in
terior truthfhlness, and another of
.ess efficiency, but Of greater
;ruthfulneS, give me the latter. 10
)c cfficient. the surgical nurse
must havetthorough training in
.he science and art of general nurs
ng as wellfas the special drill of
he operating room and the case
If the post4operative patient.
Must Warrant Confidence.
The nurse must warrant the con-
idence andsthe trust placed in her
~ the surgeon, and by the patti
family. She has the patients
'onvalescence, be it easy and I'M
duplicated, or be it the contrary.
food judgment and quick action
N the part of the nurse are in