Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-12-14
.R|VERv|EW HOSPITAL
GRADUATION
Program Carried Gun as Published Large At
tendance

( it has been the generally accepted plan
that to have pupil nurses to care for
the patients was the best way to OBJ
tain that service. Many times this
has been done because it was the way
of least resistance and not with the
! intention Of giving adequate training
to the nurses. Neither has the train
ing always been systematic or with
definite purpose.
Some schools, however, have from
their beginning set a very high stan
dard of character and efficiency, and
the women who made them: Isabel
Hampton Robb, Iavina Dock, Linda
Richards, Jane Delano, who are even
now in charge Of the National Red
Cross Nursing Service, with head
quarters at Washington, and Isabel
MsIsaac whom we delight to honor,
established ideals which will perme-
ate, for all time, the nursing profess
sion These women made schools for
nurses a reality, and combined the
courses given in books and by lectures,
with actual experience.
AS [ have said the hospital idea
grew rapidly, and the varied require
ments of the schools made it necessary
to take some active steps toward bring
! ing about more uniform standards.
This led to need for legislation, and
some recognition from the state of
those who should be qualified accord
ing to the laws
Forty-two states since 1903 have
passed laws governing the registra-
ton of nurses. Our own law was en-
acted in 1911 and revised in 1915 No
law can make a good school or an eff
I ficient, trustworthy nurse, but it can
act as one of the forces toward slim
ulating Improvement in our schools.
We need schools for nurses in
Wisconsin. Ours is a great state,
with wonderful resources, and the best
of educational advantages. We have
high schools, normal schools, colleges,
and our great University. In the u
University of Wisconsin, men and wo
men may prepare for almost any
sphere of usefulness they choose
from the Arts and Sciences to Com
merce and engineering Our agricult-
ural school is one of the best in the
country, and men come here from all
over the world to study in every de-
partment in the University.
1t has many courses, especially at
tractive to women. We rejoice we
have a college for women in Wisconsin
equal to any in our country, and we
feel that with the great need for nur-
ses, we have reason to look to our own
state to provide opportunities for
their education.
| yy7;.or,,r;,, loo ,1voy,,o,, Of crIoydi1
worth, young women who see in nurs-
ing the field for service which most
appeals to them, and we do not want
to have to let them go away to other
states for the advantages which may
r so well be given here.
What is the field of service for the
; nurse? Why should she receive pre-
paration-the best possible prepare
ton for service? New avenues for
service are just opening to her, but
always must we see that her first du-
ty is ''to soothe and to solace, to help
and to heal the sick world, which leans
on her"
The trustworthy, faithful, efficient
nurse is a blessing and the physicians
and the people have learned to depend
upon her They have learned to be
lieve that she has had the experience
and that she has the judgment and the
: technical knowledge which will enable
her to bear responsibility when lives
hang in the balance.
True it is that back of her must al
t ways be the physicians who direct hel
: movements, but if the nurse is care
t less and lacking skill, if she is mo-
!, mindful Of conditions and symptoms
V she does not,-she cannot render the
f service which is hers to give. Hence
: we plead that our schools give K
k nurses the opportunities for study an(
s experience which will prepare them
$ first of all, to give efficient care t,
e the sick To do this, they must havt