The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-10-24
A STUDENT NURSE,
is A BUSY PERSON, ESPECIALLY
WHERE THERE'S FLU.

lost no time in getting TO work after |
she arrived, is evidenced by the fol- |
owing letter, begun Saturday even |
ing, October 18th:
Dearest Folks:---* got just so
far when | had to go to supper, and
now it is $3.50.
After We left st. Louis and had
just climbed into my berth, heard
some girls talking about Camp Nc
Clelland and found out they were
student nurses, so of course ! made
their acquaintance. They were from
Springfield, Illinois. Next morning
after we left Nashville l was riding
in the day coach. But as we got fur.
Their south the coach began filling up
with so many darlties, and they were
so dirty, / was afraid / might catch
the flu, so went back into the Pull
man. We were late getting into An
| liston that night, so had to wait at the
depot until eleven o'clock before they
came after us. When we got out to
amp, which is located about six miles
from town, they put me in another
nurses bed. She is in the hospital
| sick with the fu--but | slept sound.
and didn't hear a thing until GAS
this morning. We are supposed to
get up at six and be on duty at seven.
The nurse hadn't told me | did not
need to get up that soon, but she had
Intended for me to sleep till seven
this morning. so everything was o. X.
| After breakfast | stood around a
few minutes awaiting orders. About
eight | was sent to Ward Nos. ! and
2. 1t looks just like the hospital
wards at Camp Dodge. There were
fifty patients on first floor and fifty.
five on second. All have influenza.
There was one nurse in charge of all
these, and l made another one. Ev.
erybody had on q mask so you could
lot tell what they looked like. First
| gave asperin tablets to about sew,
enty-fve patients, then | started
making beds. BY the time l had
made about eighty-fve it was 1880.
md the nurse told me to 20 TO dinner.
| | went Got back at 1910 and she
told me to give quinine to about fifty
Of the patients. while she went to
dinner. did that and then finished
making the beds. Didn't know what
20 do next so just looked important
and waited. About 2:30 another
trained nurse who didn't know what
to do, either, came in and said the
other nurse was sick. Finally, to-
gether we decided to take their TEN,
Eeratures. OF course | just helped
Then she had me give asperin tablets
again while she rested. About for:
o'clock the nurse who had been there
il the morning came back and scat
ne home to rest.
After supper ] was told that al Of
~" rudent nurses were TO move down
IT, q new barracks. | am now sit
Ting on my cot in room 9X9, with
QUO corner taken off for closet. II
is much better than expected,
though, so l am happy. I'll tell you
more about the barracks later, for
now l want to tell you about the
camp. 1t is not like Camp Dodge, in
that it is built in among the hills, so
|ou can only see small part of it at
one time. We are surrounded by the
Blue Ridge Mountains, and it is GER
tainly beautiful spot.
| Sunday Morning.
There are about four hundred new
cases of flu reported this morning,
and there are cots along the side
walks around the hospitals, for there
iS No rnnn inciAa nm ca Glad I
came, for they sure do need nurses
hey don't get bad with the flu here
like they do at Camp Dodge, and !
uess only about half as many cases.
There are only about $50 nurses ~
Guiding us greenies. | have to work
2 Lours a day, so won't have muc0
time 10 write.
Sunday afternoon
Have q hours off. Go on duty
again at four and work till seven.
am sure crazy about my work, and
am not tired at all today. Some Of
ouI patients are to be transferred
this afternoon and some new ones are
coming in. We only have about five
that are real bad, and none with
pneumonia. One boys folks came
his morning. He gave me an apple
they had brought him. OF course
couldn't eat it, SO gave it to another
boy who has been well enough to car
water for me while | gave medi-
Cries.
never realized before how much
> persons looks depended on the
lower part of his face. There is one
boy l had thought was just kid in
his teens, and imagine my surprise
when he took off his mask, and / saw
he was a man about thirty-fve, with
mustache. They always look so
different with their masks Off OF
course they can't see how | look for
hey can only see my eyes.
The boys are all nice and do all
they can TO help, and are so respect
full. The night sergeant was still
there this morning when l went on
duty. He was in the office and fair
ly jumped when he saw me, just like
he knew me. Later he told me |
looked so much like his sister, that
for moment he almost thought il
/ H. IL. L.. -.