The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-05-27
The Need of the Industrial Nurse.

from a mill village which had no
nurse previously, and having seen the
need fulfilled, though on small scale
compared with other larger factories
IA the south; and, knowing tha'
there are other mills in South Caro-
lima and other states not so equipped,
ana even nurses in other lines OF
work who do not know what the work
rof the idustrial nurse is. or bow OF
kyhy it is done, believe that an ar
NcIe ON the subject may prove worm
while.
1t is my intention to take this need
up from three points Of view: FIRST,
that of the employers; second, tnat
Of the employees; third. that OF the
nurse.
During one of my interviews at the
managers office I asked him why
they employed nurse and ALSO their
reason for equipping q clinic. Ims
was his reply: Among the most I'M
portant and most evident marks OF
progress and efficiency in the cotton
manufacturing industry has been the
aaost universal practise Of installing
akell-equipped clinic and first Aid
place. One of the reasons why the
clinic and First Aid place has become
a necessity to our mill Is that it is
the sincere desire Of the managers
that the employees may know that
&ye have their interest at heart, and
our nurse and clinic is one Of the
visible evidences that this is so. We
believe they are entitled to the best
attention in case Of illness or injury
that we can give them. We also be-
lieve the moral effect is good; that
they will be better satisfied, and will
lessen their desire to move from vii
lag to village" i,
1.-THE second reason why we believe
our First Aid place and clinic is vital
to our organization is that we some
times have serious accidents involv-
ing a finger or a hand, and at such
times. while awaiting the arrival OF a
surgeon, we are able to girs the pa
tient skilled attention, WI other
wise would be impossible.
."The third reason why We believe
our First Aid place and Clinics are vi
tai to our organization is because 1t is
a profitable investment. We as en-
ployers are responsible for the health
and welfare of our employees to a
greater extent each year. and the care
full attention given by the nurse to
small injuries, such as cuts. bruises,
and scratches, as we'll as many cases
or temporary Hines, and which, II
neglected might develop into serious
cases of infection or other serious ILL
ness, with a necessary loss Of much
of the employees time which would
can a greater loss to our organiza-
ton"
, Now this shows the cooperation OF
the firm. Let us take up the other
views. The industrial nurse Is, /
believe, a burden litter. She spans
TIA gap which grows unconsciously
Wider between the employer and en-
fployee. She enables him to carry out
'what has been in his heart to do all
: thu time-if he Is a warm hearted
man who values life above the dol
lars, which, fortunately, many OF
them do. But If he be of that type,
his duties are so arduous that he has
not the time to do what his heart
prompts him. 80 the nurse Is a mes
senger of his good will to the men
and women employed. In minister
ing to their needs she is the interpre-
ter Of his thoughts and feelings.
From the employees viewpoint, let
us take the superintendent's view. TO
them she should be blessing and not
a menace. She must make them feel
her cooperation and thus win their
confidence by attending to the acci-
dent promptly and efficiently; getting
the men back to the work as soon
as possible. In Zach case, to recog-
nize the foreman's often difficult task
of keeping his department up to Its
highest efficiency. What shall we
Ry of the hundreds Of men and wo-
men just next to the foreman, as en-
ployees? What view do they take?
know their view changes, it takes
time to establish confidence, but when
they realize that the corporation for
which they labor and whom they Of
ten thought of as heartless and ex-
ceedingly wealthy, whose manager,
superintendents, and visiting officials
were always well-dressed, and whom
they never saw actually labor (re-
member, we give all credit to the in
,tensive work that it takes from man
ayers and superintendent to engin-
eer the work of plant and to bear
the responsibility-and it surely does
take gray matter), but when these
employees find that well-equipped
First Aid place has been established.
a nurses kindly interest, skill and
sympathy free for them, it is almost
more than they can realize.
They gladly come, and politeness
and gratitude shown for the tiniest
care is so great that no nurse, If she
truly loves human beings, and what
A11