Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-06-12

aent six weeks and took care of chill |
rem ranging from two years to six |
cen years of age. l remember dis |
lnctly the songs which greeted us |
very morning when we came on duty
n that ward. These children, many
f them crippled and suffering, sang
Over There" and keep the Home
Tres Burning" and in this way they
bowed their heartfelt welcome to the
women who had come to give them
are throughout the day. Some of
he children in this ward were from
ZONES where the parents had never
bowed them the tender love which
s a necessary part of child's life,
md the hospital was the first place
n the world which had offered them
affection. No wonder these children
their nurses with music on
heir lips.
In many instances, when children
mad been restored to health and their
parents were requested to call for
them, they waited in vain, and the
hospital was forced to hunt homes for
the little boys and girls whom their
fathers and mothers had abandoned.
1t is certainly not surprising that
SO many little ones are sent to the
hospital suffering from neglect, when
we consider the many parents who do
not want them back again when they
are we'll. In such cases the institution,
through the kindly and untiring work
of it's nurses, performs the duty which
the home never performed, and gives
the child glimpse Of tenderness such
as it had never known.
During the Spanish influenza cpl
demic l assisted throughout the hos
pital in every way I could. The de-
mand for nurses was great, but the
supply was small, and number of
Jaekies from the Great Lakes came
to the rescue. These men had receiv-
ed some training and were able to give
hypodermics and render other assist
ance of that nature. The work done
by these young men was exceptionally
good and did a great deal in the way
of relieving the nerve strain and anx-
iety which the regular nurses were
suffering. Long hours Of work, and
the rapid death rate among the In
fiuenza patients, caused us mental and
physical fatigue which could not long
lave been endured without such valu-
able and effective assistance from the
outside, and undoubtedly the Jackies
were glad to be there and to feel that
they were participating in the great
task of saving human lives.
Hundreds of graduate nurses ere
being employed every year by manu-
featuring concerns in this country.
There is no doubt that every progress
sive company regards its human equip
ment as the most important factor in
the output of the plant, hence the ra-
pid progress along the line of safety
and welfare organization. This opens
up a new and ever growing field fol
our profession, and the industrial
nurse has won a prominent place in
modern industry. This, too, offers
many attractions from the standpoint
Of personal service. The efficiency of
the workmen is often determined in
his home, and in that connection the
visiting nurse is confronted with q
variety Of interesting problems. Her
advice in the matter of sanitary work
ing clothes, physical cleanliness, and
prevention Of disease is valuable, and
as a result the employer of labor finds
that he has a steadier, healthier, and
more careful crew of men and women
with decreasing percentage of sick
ness and diminishing number of &C.
cidents.
The trained nurse in Public Service
whether under the jurisdiction Of the
county or the city, has also many hui
name and interesting duties to per-
form. Her work takes her into afflict-
ed homes where people are suffering
from contagious disease, but who are
in many cases too ignorant to know
what to do. She comes in contact with
children in the schools and interests
them in subjects which have to do
with the care of their bodies. Pub
lie nursing is a comparatively new idea
but the work is growing rapidly and
the openings are therefore numerous.
During the eighteen months prior
to the signing of the Armistice, 5000
graduate nurses were placed in active
military service. To many of them
this meant hardship, sacrifice, and
death, and to all of them it meant a
supreme opportunity for service in
the nations critical hour. 1t meant
Che skillful care of Americas wound