Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-14
WOULD REDUCE
PRIVATE DUTY
NURSES HOURS
Miss Palmer of Kalispell Says
Health Is Impaired by
Long Working Day.

In the many branches of the nursing
profession, altogether too little atten-
ton has been paid to the private duty
nurse and the part that she has played
in its progress and development, was
the statement of Miss Ida Palmer of
kalispell, who gave a paper on 'Pri-
vate Duty Nursing in Home and Hos
pital' at the Thursday morning meet
ing of the Montana Association of
Graduate Nurses.
The private duty Itlrse has the
ideals of the profession as much at
heart as has her hospital sister. Miss
Palmer said. and added that these
ideals are maintained at a much greater
cost IN many instances. Long hours
Of service. Is, 20 and even "A hours
often constitute the days labor for the
private nurse, she said.
Cheerful Disposition Necessary
As compensation for the many un-
deniable hardships that she is forced
TO endure, the private duty nurse. has
the satisfaction of knowing that she
has been able to give comfort and sym
pathy 70 the family of her charge and
in cases where necessary to prepare
them for the long parting that death is
to bring to its members Miss Palmer
said. She stressed the necessity of a
nurse having a cheerful disposition and
a personality that can shine through
any trial. however hard.
Miss Palmer recommended that steps
should be taken to reduce the number
of hours that nurses are expected to
work. The long hours required of her
az the present time often undermine
the nurses health and affect her men
tally TO such an extent that she is un-
able to perform her work as she should
and as she desires. 1t is not uncom-
mon. she said. to see a nurse 50
fatigued at the end Of a "a hour day
that she cannot even speak.
Was Pioneer
The real nurse looks upon her pro-
fession as a religion, Miss Palmer OBJ
served and added that at the end Of
"A life time of service she could look
back over the years and find JOY in the
thought of duty well performed.
There is a field in special duty hos
pital work for the private duty nurse.
who has grown old in service, Miss
Palmer concluded and explained that
her usefulness in this field had been
proved during the war and during the
Influenza epidemic.
1T must be remembered that the
private duty nurse was the pioneer.
who laid the foundation for the great
strides of the future" she said.
Must Organize Routine
Miss Edna Wells read the paper Of
Miss Lucille Montjoy. Butte, outlining
nursing education from the point of
view of the private duty nurse.
THE ideal nurse should strive to be
a perfect companion and must be cheer
full at all times. She must have the
ability TO meet any situation and to
profit by the mistakes of her prcdeees-
sors. She will so organize her routine
that she Is able to do justice to both
her patient and herself" were trench
ant remarks embodied in the discus
sion.
The nurses need for available
knowledge is great and must be equip
ned with education or an educational
equivalent. She must know the differ
ence between ideals and Illusions or
she can never know the real joy to be
derived from being a part OF an exact
ing profession was the papers con-
clusion.
Nursing Education
Mrs. Ann X. Warning Of Acton, dis
cussed nursing education from the pub
lie health nursing point of view. The
public health needs particularly train
ing in pedagogy. she declared. explain
ing that the nurse is the interpreter
who puts the knowledge of science into
the language of the layman and IN Civ
ing him Il comprehension of its value
is the medium through which the world
must fight it's way upward to a con-
seriousness of and the need for good
health. A public health training school
should be a part of the states c%urricu-
lum for successful work in health edu-
cation. Mrs. Waring said. -,
Mrs. Alice Calvert Bell. accompanied
by Miss Olive Sorrick, entertained the
nurses with two solos at the meeting
which was opened by a prayer by the
Rev. Father NJ. II. O'Brien, Y. G.,
pastor of ST. AIMS cathedral. At the
end of the morning session the nurses
adjourned to the Liberty theater.
where an organ recital was arranged
F,, than, |