In addition to caring for your 60 patients, each nurse will follow these regulations:
1. Daily sweep and mop the floors of your ward, dust the patient’s furniture and windowsill.
2. Maintain an even temperature on your ward by bringing in a scuttle of coal for the day’s business.
3. Light is important to observe the patient’s condition; therefore, each day fill the kerosene lamps, clean chimneys, and trim wicks. Wash the windows once a week.
4. The nurse’s notes are important in aiding the physician’s work. Make your pens carefully; you may whittle nibs to your individual taste.
5. Each nurse on duty will report every day at 7 am and will leave at 8 pm except on Sabbath, on which day you will be off from 12 noon to 2 pm.
6. Graduate nurses in good standing with the Director of Nurses will be given an evening off each week if you regularly attend church.
7. Each nurse should lay aside from each payday a good sum of her earning for her benefits during her declining years, so that she will not become a burden. For example, if you earn $20 a month, you should set aside $10.
8. Any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in any form, gets her hair done at a beauty shop, or frequents dance halls will have given the Director of Nurses good reason to suspect her worth, intentions, integrity.
9. The nurse who performs her labors, serves her patients and doctors faithfully and without fault for a period of five years will be given an increase by the hospital administration of five cents per day, providing there are no hospital debts that are outstanding.
(excerpt bummed from Contemporary Nursing, 3rd Ed., Cherry & Jacob)
1 comment:
No wonder so many people used to die young! Did you know that Helen Jensen once told me about sharpening needles? Yowza!
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