Evening journal., 1923-02-02
DOCTORS STAND
With nurses
Score Robinson for State
ment That Women Are
"ProhteerS on Illness"
DIFFER ON $35
WEEK SALARY


as ridiculous" "scandalous'' and
false" the accusations made by
DR.. Frederick H. Robinson in the
current issue Of the Medical Re
views that the trained nurse Of to-
day is a bulgarian" "profiteer on
, illness" and "merciless deserter
from duty" if her money is not
forthcoming
The local physicians do, however,
differ over the question OF pay for
nursing. some contending that S35
a week. the standard rate is too
much. As for the nurses themselves
they maintain that S35 Is only ade-
quate remuneration, considering
/ their responsibilities.
/ Dr. Robinson, who is managing
( editor of the periodical, declares
the article was prompted by "a
: score OF years of suffering in
! silence" He says that there are
no more Florence Nightingales, with
an ideal OF service. that the nurse
Is profl.eer on Illness" demand
I ing brides OF hattery and gifts to
prevent her desertion In time OF
emergency; that she "betrays her
self-an ignorant woman, crammed
to the outlet with false pride. and
the half-learned tricks of mental
trade, inconceivably coarse as TO
mind and manners" and that her
addiction to drugs is not the least
of her frallties."
Or. II. J. Stubbs rejects the ac-
cusatlons as ridiculous. stating that
the nurses as class are AN excep-
tionally fine lot of girls" but in re-
gard to their pay, he said. It do
think they exact too much and are
over-paid."
Or. w Edwin Bird, editor Of the
Delaware State Medical Journal, in
an interview. said: ITO damn all the
nurses as vulgar and coarse is alb
surd. In every profession there are
errinE members and as few or many
among the nurses. It is question OF
human nature and Of the woman.
There are nurses today who enter
their work with as high ideals Of
service as Florence Nightingale
ever had. and there are nurses who
don't No general accusation can
apply.
However, in regard to the eal-
airy question" he added. Il will say
that the nurses have failed to abb
sorb their full share OF the econom-
ic loss that had to be written off
in the postwar denation. They stlll
maintain their S35 a week, which
was established during the war
when other salaries have been re-
duced TO meet the lowered prices
IT agree with DR.. Will Mayo" he
said further that the day OF the
highly trained nurse is over eN-
cept for managerial work There
should be available nurses for or
binary bedside attendance AZ a rate
that the family in ordinary circum-
stances could meet. As II is now
nursing is a luxury for the rich
man to afford. In Or Mayos plan
the nurse receives six months train
ing and Is Judged competent enough
for attendance on ordinary illness.
She is paid SIS TO $50 a week"
DR.. George c. McElfatrick also
calls the drug and "vulrarlty"
charges "inconceivably ridiculous"
but he states that in his opinion.
many nurses are becoming slack .
in their standards, professional
and personal. that they are not hold /
ing TO their ideal Of service. lilo
believes that there is too much /
picking of cases, seeking Of light
Office employment. rather than tho |
single desire to nurse the sick"
Or. Albert Robin also defends /
the nurses, but suggests the Mayo !
plan as the solution OF tho nursing
problem. They are not ovcr-paid :
but they are over-tralned." he said. Z
we should have bedside nurses.
better than the practical nurse ana
we ,hould have the specialized
trained nurse. Tho trained nurse
who Las studied for several years
is being wasted IN the ordinary case, /
but she is not being over-paid."
DR.. Charles I. White called the
nurse OF today a conscientious
woman who does her duty When .
you consider that she works night
and day, she is certainly not over
paid at S35 week" lie also |
branded the charges as regrettable f.
Miss Caroline Sparrow, superin-
tendent at the Delaware Hospital T.
said: In attacking the nurses. Dr. /
Robinson Is also lowering his own
profession. The two are TOO closely
allied. 1t Is unjust 20 Judge the ma
jority by the minority"
Miss Estele Washington. head
nurse OF the Homeopathic Hospital. /
after five years experience IN this
position, and close personal ac-
quaintance with III nurses OF the
institution. knows but two who have
become drug addicts. DIR Robin
son had made an unpleasant choice
Of nurses. evidently. and has decided
TO judge the entire profession by the
few he has known" she said "The
pay OF S55 n week Is hardly exorbi-
tant when one considers that
nurse must continue TO pay her
room rent. telephone bill. laundry
and all expenses but her board,
when she Is on a case and that dur
ing probation all her expenses pile
up"
Miss Helen Twomey, head nurse
of the Physicians and Surgeons
Hospital condemned the publicity
and attention, DR. Robinson's arti-
Gle is getting. 1T is such evil prop
uganda that is hurting our profes-
sion." she said, land / blame such
scandalous statements for the grow
ing scarcity of nurses. Hearing
such runnors dfscoura COS syfr1e iron,