HOSPITAL NURSES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 5

HOSPITAL NURSES.

Sir,-May I be permitted a word about hospital nurses, whilst th/ subject is before the public. Having.been trained many years ago—and we .were a,very irresponsible and happy, yet hardworking, set of 'women, carefully disciplined to carry out orders, and fully,alive to the .dignity and importance of out position; watching symptoms of difficult .cases .equally with those'of to-day.- With few or no-lectures, .a:greater number of hours on duty, and. a moro proscribed dietary, yet in emergency wo , were ever ready to respond to a cry for volunteers to pull .up back work by our House surgeon, for wo were, often overfull, and it was a" time of- glue and chalk splints and' plaster-of-paris models, etc. This would be after 8 -p.m., going off duty—our hours were from 7.30 a.m; till , 8 p.m. We were quite fresh, and enjoyed it. We were not mind, body,' and soul weary as to-day's poor young nurses are , whom I have heard assert they have but one wish on earth—a-good sleep—and are almost willing to risk their .reputations for one. Only a nurse knows what that means to her. I consider that, to put really, young nurses to night duty is an outrage* on nature which she : resents, and takes toll in-ill-health and natural breakdown. The night-nurses in my time were all elderly pr middle-aged, equally trained, having beep in hospital many year.*. Eeoplo advancing in years do not need or take.so much sleep, and-it. is less of. a tax on nature., ;It has-feemed/to me that a'niincreased .pay;..would;'secure-the more advanced nurses for. night'duty: also, too, their studies would be practically over.— I am. etc., . A NURSE.