THE NURSING PROFESSION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 25 March 1912, Page 4

THE NURSING PROFESSION.

•» Sir;—Ho extracts regarding "Nurses and Tli'eir,Hours of Work'" whicji y<lll publish from, the "Nursing Times" in yimr issue of March 13. It-twins .to me that in tho clamdUi' .which.is .being made for nurses' rights iii-'u'iW 'direction and another, and tho constantly increasing f spirit of'discontent. iind. rebellion against authority, soiiio'Veryxiniportaut facts are being lost sight oi. Firstly, young women who ■ciiterVa : hospital for the pur.•'poser.of" being jtraijied,- Jmve chosen a profj-ssioh iTcquiring.-iJitt. expensive and •superior : education,.- This - .they receive •without ■ payment of any premium, and Sin'-addition are ■clothed,; in\, and given a home. They receive medical a:;d nursing care if at any time, they are Mck Eiv'cn'' a n ] hi a 1 ly " a"" iTOitil ri'y r . Tho training they tl.ns receive, enables them to. .compiand a 1.-esidcs lhjiity jidTn'ntagcs above ■mos(\ : t.>ther ot'ciipatioiis'onen tn ' women." Practically, being "on duty" 12 hours dr,::-i nol mem liiiixl -work -all tlio-tiino-.—Oii«--is--in the wire] -and.:pn fliilf-id'iirfbjhliitr tiuie, but lifter , the '/routine '.work : has been; done, thereri3-coiisid.erabli ; in which to obsiSvo Slid study' patWJils and ,to per--t'ojm' liinnv- liinct ; tntd- nm;se-like-»>iictions u ffiat do'liof Ciiir'foF'pliysicnl strength. The hospital is a school wherein they learn tho art of nursing, and tho paat a , : .profit-for-'■ the- :.egtablisauM!Dt'. wlien the

apprentice has finished t'nnm (ill', mid yet some of these insubordiuaie iiioinbors of a .noble proles-ion would bring it to Ihu level of tho shoemakers' craft, mid rebel bm:u.-« the hours they arc asked to devnto id ilie perfecting of their art excoed those which I In; slim-nuikers, or otht'i' tind( , -:i-.sislant. spends over his monotonous tusk. TV cobULci- works at his sline.s, but there is m> uluincp of his ■ever beenmin;; a shiie hinuclf. But lliert are many chances thai a nurse may become a patient lu-r.-.-ll'. It would bo well for her to remeiulx-i , that and ri'iider to the patients such service and iu Mich a manner a-, shii would like rendered to hc-r when it is. her lime to be ill the place of the patient. It is an nrt above a craft, mid it. profp-'-ion which calls loudly fur a IHtV sentiment, and fur the highest type ot' women, for it has many dillicultit-s which air w< , !! worl:ii surinnimtiug. 1 cannot think that a stall' which grudges service for. more Until 8 hours per diem is likely In become; highly perceptive, or ellicient nurses ,in any way by and by. Already the .cnml'uu't with which nurses are surrounded in tho beautifully fitr.ed-up residential homes provided I'or "their use at the hospitals far eclipse anything provided for •tin? miliar good women who entered the work when it ras first instituted and Informed by Florence A'ightingale. Yetv:« hear mure luiinniu-s of discontent anil fierci'.r hospital elcimis even , year. I ithink it is as serious a matter to produce by a system of pampering a set of "fcatlipr-bfid" .Tiursn? as it is to produce "feather-bed" sol-dicrc. In all professions we sue st.udeir.-H willingly studying late- and early in order to attain proficiency. The "'NuTsing- Times" does not th.ink it probable that', given greater freedom, some nurses might use the time unprofitable. T'nfokunatcly, matrons of most hospitals could tell iis that there arc many who use iip their strength unprofitably ixr every opportunity. It should not bo so, but it is. As nn enthusiastic wor.'cor under tho 12 hours' system, and as one who in recent years has suffered frum shoddy so-called nursing, I appeal to women 'entering a hospital for training to consider their advantages and their, opportunities and to give, willing sen-ice. It will bring to them much absolute absorbing happiness and develop nobler and stronger natures from tho fact that liuliian suffering is lessened by their ministrations.—l am, etc., ONE OP THEM. March IS.