New Britain herald., 1930-05-29

high grade nurses fog general floor
service, they are blocked, because of
the hesitation of the high grade
women of the type they want, TO en-
ter the field, which is not considered
desirable ior the graduate nurse. An
other result of the student nurse
policy is the widespread practice of
the patient in employing specials.
In severe case one can we'll imagine
the reluctance of a patient TO entrust
himself to the care of student nurses,
and he has, therefore, to provide his
own nurses, and as a hour duty is
becoming less and less common. he
has TO employ two 12-hour duty
nurses, and ii is not an inexpensive
luxury to be i'll. 1t would seem as
though hospitals would have to be
gin to employ graduate nurses IN
greater numbers, and if the expense
to the hospital is thereby increased,
could it not be borne by the patients
who need the extra care. who in
turn would be relieved of the ex-
pense Of one, or possibly two, special
nurses?
One authority which have read
says, that the day is now at hand
when many of the HOSPITALS with
nursing schools must begin thinking
in terms Of wide employment, or al.
most complete employment. of grad
uate general duty nurses, and when
other hospitals which are now rely
ing primarily upon practical nurses
or attendants. will find that patients
Will refuse TO enter their doors un-
less an adequate graduate nursing
IS available The fact that the larg-
est and best-knoHn hospitals take
student service for granted is a
natural result OF the way in which
the profession started. 1t was not IN
I'll recently that graduate nurses
we're available in sufficient numbers
10 carry hospital work. 1t IS estimat-
ed that if every graduate nurse in
The United States were doing bed
side nursing in the hospitals. there
would be only about one % nurse to
every three patients. The question
might we'll be asked. if this should
come to pass. how could the nurse
obtain her training? This question
has already been answered. II should
be provided through public channels
IN the same way that the doctor or
lawyer or accountant or a typist is
educated, in a school Of learning
where she could devote her whole
time to her education and obtain the
best of instruction.
Tonight, many of You pass q
milestone on the road of life-birth,
school and graduation are the COM
mon landmarks in the preprofession-
a life of every person. Of these the
graduation stone is in many cases
the most memorable, for Just beyond
comes the point at which all must
leave the highway they have trodden
together and take separate paths.
4 have tried in j very inadequate
way to point out some Of the differ
ent paths that you can take. and |
wish I could impress upon you the
wisdom of taking one OF these that
will lead YOU to accomplish greater
things and that will enable you to
make more Of your talents than If
you rested on your present laurels.
Use this graduation as a foundation
stone, but study on. Prepare YOUR
self to excel in any one OF the many
branches of your profession which
lie open before you, and remember.
there is always room at the top. Re
member, too, that you are never
alone in the problems of the great
tasks 10 which you are dedicated.
The nurse has tradition. She
stands for something. The wonderful
struggle for the betterment OF the
human race is in your hands. You