Facts relating to hospital nurses; in reply to the letter of "one who has walked a good many hospital", printed in 'The Times' of 13th April last: also, observations on training establishments for hospital and private nurses / by John F. South.

  • South, John Flint, 1797-1882.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Facts relating to hospital nurses; in reply to the letter of "one who has walked a good many hospital", printed in 'The Times' of 13th April last: also, observations on training establishments for hospital and private nurses / by John F. South. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/34 (page 12)
    wages of the sisters and nurses, that the former aie pretty fairly, certainly not too lavishly paid. The nurses, however, in my opinion, are for many reasons too scantily remunerated. I would not alter their money payment, but it would he very advisable they should he allowed rations in addition, which together would not too well reward them for their very hard work and toil, as they rarely sit down five minutes together during the whole day. Were this improve¬ ment made, I feel sure that a better class of ward servants would always he obtainable, and they would stay longer in the house, and become available, by their knowledge and good conduct, to be appointed sisters—a practice which formerly obtained in our hospitals, but has been for many years past discon¬ tinued, and is less likelv to be revived under the present arrangements of the nursing department, which remain to be described. It would naturally be presumed that the women filling the offices of sisters, and of nurses or ward servants, are not all of the same class. The sisters are selected from among intelligent and active persons in the prime of life—usually about thirty years of age— who are generally ascertained to be quick, and capable of understanding and attaining a knowledge of the duties required of them. They are not thrust at once into the wards, ignorant and unfitted for the responsi¬ bilities they assume, “ to pick up a knowledge of their business as they best can.” They are at first taken as supernumeraries, or unattached, into the matron’s office, where, by their frequent errands into the wards, and communication with the attached sisters, they gradually attain an insight into the duties they will