Evening star., 1928-12-09
FUNCTIONS OF VISITING NURSE
VARY FROM CARE TO EDUCATION
Each Member of Staff Visits
- Many Homes Daily
With Help.
Advice and Relief Prove Boon
= to Families Where H. 8
"A - 14rf =. II ~
ness Has Hold.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.


of the Instructive visiting Nurse So
| ciety. The blue-uniformed nurses were
assembling in the stan room to COM
| pile reports and receive orders for the
work Of the day. In an adjoining room
the telephone operator at the little
switchboard was already busy at work.
She had scarcely completed call for
staff official when buzz" went the
bell again. Instructive Visiting Nurses" "
! spoke the operator over the phone AN
! urgent case" continued her voice, "the
baby was born yesterday-why didn't
you call sooner? Oh, you have only
just heard about US? We will send a
| nurse immediately" A few minutes
later IAN order was received in the staff
| room. please send Miss A to this
address. Assistance needed immedi-
ately."
Miss A., who served in the section
Of town from which the call had come,
stood in readiness, a business-like look
ing black bag in one hand. Leaving
The Star Building, where the nurses
headquarters are established, she start,
ed on foot in the direction of her latest
call. All visiting nurses do not enjoy
the luxury Of car.
Mother Very Ill. ..
VV1no a Cdl1 I1dU COlIlc 1TOu1 IIlS
house of poor but intslligent people.
found the mother more or less unpre-
pared and in addition had brought
serious physical complications. The
mother was very LII woman and re-.
quired the most aSsiduouS care after,
the baby had arrived and the doctors
work was over .~
NeighbOrf Suggested Call.
Instructions had been left by The
doctor as to- diet, medicines and care
for the sick mother; instructions which
must be carefully followed to restore
the mothers health, as well as to safe
guard the health end the welfare of
the newborn infant An old colored
woman had been employed by the lworn-
ans husband while he attended to his
business as storekeeper in shop be-
meath the home, The colored woman,
who looked after the housework and
an older child of the family during the
illness OF the mother was wholly in
capable Of giving the proper care to an
Ill person. A neighbor, realizing the
situation, had heard of the Instructive
Visiting Nurses and suggested to the
father that one be called
Within a few minutes after the ar
rival of the visiting nurse there was
an extraordinary change. The mother
lay in a comfortable position on a
freshly made bed. The baby, also clean
in fresh linen, lay in neatly prepared
crib next to the mother. The room
had been made neat and tidy and the
window had. been opened, letting in q
flood OF fresh air and sunshine. AS
the nurse prepared to leave the wan.
tired face Of the woman in the bed
lightened with a smile.
you will come back?" she asked
anxiously. To an Affirmative reply, she
said, Don't send any one else-you
come-I don't want anybody but you"
That was the greatest compensation
the nurse could have received
You should have called me sooner
she said as she picked up the little
BLACK bag to leave. II might have been
able TO give you attention and advice
which would have prevented much suf-4
fering -
Leaving this house, the nurse turned
south and walking a few blocks stopped
before delicatessen store. AS she
entered she was greeted by woman
with a tired, anxious expression. II am
so glad you have come" she spoke 'tI
have been SO worried all night. Sister
has had a bad sore throat and you
know how bothered L am when any
thing happens to her"
The nurse passed through the store
Up some back stairs to small, neat bed
room, where a child Of about lay in
bed. The little patient was suffering
from heart disease and had been con-
fined to her bed under a physicians
care for 10 months. She replied to the 1
nurses INQUIRY as to that throat by
saying. Its been hurtin' since last
night" ~ NJ.
Case is Difficult.
Immediately an examination was
made, pulse and temperature taken and
the 'sore throat" proved to be nothing
serious. In addition, lowered pulse
showed improvement in the heart con-
dition. The tired mother went down
the stairs to the delicatessen shop
greatly relieved. To sympathetic Gus
toners, oyer the counter, she was heard
to remark, II don't know what could
have done without the visiting nurse.
When Sister first got sick I never
could have taken care of her without
closing the shop. and IL I'd close the
shop it wlold have! ruined me-"
The next place visited by the nurse.
was a different case, in that the patier<
failed Ito fully cooperate With the
natal. Casa girl not yet out of her
teens and already the mother of two
children. Perhaps it was her extreme
youth which made her fail to see the
necessity CT the advice given by the
nurse. None of the instructions given
on previous visit had been carried
cut. and the patiently repeated warn
ings and recommendations of the nurse
fell upon sul!enly indifferent ears.
While the nurse was taking the blood
pressure the patient hitherto silent,