Evening star., 1961-03-19
She's q Real Nurse
Miss Vyfhuizen Is Class President
BY FRANCES LIDE
Star staff Writer

GTlgulng.
It told about a student at
the Washington Hospital
Center School Of Nursing
who was born in Holland.
came to the United States
three years ago and, despite
difficulty with English at first,
will be graduated in June as
president Of her clags-a po-
Sition she also held last year.
Her name is Riet Vyfhui-
zen. the letter reported.
She is most interesting to
talk to-" declared our CORE
spondent, who processes to be
speaking for many other pa
tients" as we'll. More than
that-"She gives the patients
not only comfort and sun
shine, but also emotional sup
port. Miss Vyfhuizen is
a REAL nurse :"
We couldn't locate our tip
Ster.
But we located Riet and
found her, as reported, to be
a very interesting young
woman and a nurse with a
heart.
A Crisp Uniform
The immaculate cleanliness
for which the Dutch are
noted was reflected in her
crisp uniform.
Beneath the starch, as our
letter indicated, was compass
sion for patients whose prob
lens become very big when
they are confined to a small
hospital room.
Miss Vyfhuizen says she
knows q good nurse must be
objective. A nurse doesn't
have to become personally in
volved, however, to discover
also that by talking out their
problems, people feel better"
Her patients often remark
that she never seems to be
in o hurry" not suspecting
that inside I may be in a
very big hurry"
Her background gives her
a big assist in getting the
interest Of her patients, she
believes.
II introduce myself. they
see my name, and I explain
that they can pronounce it If
they remember that 'Vyfhui-
zen means five houses And
right away I have contact"
They Like to Talk
Then they want to talk
about Holland. Many have
been to her country, she
pointed out. Even If they
haven't they ask about the
things for which The Neither
lands Is famous.
One patient was very much
interested in wooden shoes
even toyed with the idea of
trying to make a pair.
So Riet told him how, as q
little girl living on Goeree
En- Overflakkee, one of Hol-
lands many small islands,
she used to watch the local
"klompenmaker" wooden
shoe maker) on her way to
school.
THE old man had lots Of
white hair and he wore his
spectacles on the end Of his
nose" she remembered.
He fascinated me. He
wasn't very friendly and I
was a little afraid Of him
really"
Even when the school bell
started ringing, she could
scarcely tear herself away
until the klompenmaker
threatened to stop his work
if she didn't leave. (He al
ways promised to show her
the finished product on her
way home, thought
Her patient never made his
pair Of wooden shoes. But he
took a page from q small note
pad to produce a charming
pencil sketch interpreting the
anecdote of her childhood.
PriZed Possession
It's one Of her priced pos
sessions. I'm even looking
q little frightened" she
pointed out.
AS a youngster, Riet wasn't
often permitted to wear
wooden shoes herself. They
are so hard you need a pair
of hose q day II you wear
them, she explained.
Riet'S wish to become q
nurse upset her grandmother
who used to say, please
anything but thatl"
II can never even think
when / wanted to be any,
thing else" she explained.
Her ambition was crystal
lied after she contracted
rheumatic fever when she
was II.
The Fright Skills"
This was during the Ger
man occupation and 1t wasn't
until two years later-after
the Germans were gone
that she could be put in the
hospital.
Then she realized, she said
that "even though my father
and mother loved me SO