The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-05-28

oPt MSS 10 ONti the tldSoCS ludt Ia
been set up to teach something {
psychiatry to nurses and attendant
This instruction is not required of a
tendants, it is merely offered and tn
5 attendants urged to avail themselve
e of the opportunity to learn a littl
: of the subject. But there seems t
have developed a positive rebellio
against attendance at the classes o
having anything to do with this in
struction-this on the part of thos
attendants, of course, who have heel
brought up in the old school Their,
is feeling among some people deepl,
interested, that attendants at on
state hospital should be required t
take this work. However, consider
ing the opposition that now exists anC
the scarcity of other available help, i
would seem unwise to make this al
issue now.
Certain definite work in psychiatrit
training has, however, been carried
on at our state hospital for the pas
two years or more. This is the case
of student nurses who are sent there
for three month periods from various
nursing schools about the state. These
student nurses, sixteen in number
now, are given room and board and
paid S12 month by the state. They
in turn spend half their working hours
helping in the hospital and devote
the other half to studying that special
subject for which they have been sent
to this institution. 1t is expected
that some of these nurses will follow
up this special work in psychiatry in
their later training, and a few perhaps
return to work at our own state hos
pital. There is a movement on foot
now to get the federal government to
put up building for housing student
nurses who will take special work in
psychiatry.
| The ultimate objective which Dl.
Holmes and others of her school
would reach, is the establishment of
mental hygiene clinic for service to
people with disturbed minds, this elm
is to conduct examinations for stated
periods at appointed places in the
state Early help in setting such peo-
pie right will save many from reach
ing a condition where commitment to
our state hospital seems necessary.
Such an objective will no doubt be
realized some day here, as it has been
in certain other states. But this
seems too great an undertaking, and
too costly to be thought of at the
present time, particularly when the
hospital itself is suffering a serious
shortage of doctors within its own
walls. The nearest approach to this
objective that can be hoped for now
is the careful examination of patients
as they come in, to determine whether
these are actually insane or not. And,
following that, the continued treat
ment of the milder cases aready at
the institution to prepare them for
release to their home communities
and establishment in the normal
ways of life.
The methods of commitment to our
state hospital and release therefrom
have been harsh up to this time, but
measures are now before the legis-
lature which promise a much better
handling of the whole matter, with
safeguards against hurrying people off
to the hospital as insane when no
one of experience has had a chance
to pass on their cases. Likewise,
in the matter of release, legislation
pending would give those patients not
actually insane some chance for dis
charge from the institution, where
otherwise they would in all probable
ity be retained for the balance of
their lives. The transfer of certain
patients not actually insane, but of
weak mind, to the State Training
School at Boulder, has been recog-
nized as desirable for some years
past and is expected to be taken care
of through legislation now before this
assembly. The removal of patients
from the institution by the methods
mentioned and the slowing up of COM
will do much to relieve the |
condition of the hospital |
and at the same time cut down much |
of the present running expense.
The successful operation of any in
stitution, while it must have good |
through the loyal cooperation of eff
cient help. For this reason, the prob
lens of the help at our state hospital |
must be given some consideration.
In general, the wages should be high
Ell and the food somewhat better pos
sibly, although no great complaint is
heard on these scores. The hours of
work are easier than they were two
years ago, having been reduced from
IL hours a day to eight. Mention
had been made of the need for a rec
reation hall for the employees, but
hat is some thing that cannot be
worked out at present. The one thing
hat does produce complaints is the
manner of issuing commissary provi-
;ions to the families who do not eat
1t the employees dining room but who
i've in separate homes. The practice
has been to allow each family $25
worth of supplies from the commits
'ary in lieu of the meals the worker
night otherwise eat at the employees
able and the feeling is that this
lmount is not enough. A better way
would seem to be to give such fam
lies higher wages and let them buy
Ill their own supplies.
While some improvements in the
'et-up at Warm Springs have been
Effected since the assembly last met,
md other changes are provided for III