NURSING THE SICK, 391 



are liable to let him lie there staring at a dead wall without any 

 change of object to enable him to vary his thoughts, and it never 

 even occurs to them at least to move his bed so that he can look out 

 of the window. No; the bed is to be always left in the darkest, dull- 

 est, remotest part of the room. 



On Leaving the Sick Room Always tell a patient, and 

 tell him beforehand, when you are going out and when you will be 

 back, whether it is for a day, an hour or ten minutes. If you go 

 without his knowing it and he finds it out, he never will feel secure 

 again that the things which depend upon you will be done wk^n you 

 are away, and in nine cases oat of ten he will be right. If you go 

 out without telling him when you will be back, he can take no meas- 

 ures or precautions as to the things which concern you both, or 

 which you do for him. You should be prompt to return at the ap- 

 pointed time, and all will who are worthy of being called nurses. 



The nurse requires knowledge and practice to enable her to 

 discharge aright her duty to the patient, quite as much as the 

 physician and surgeon do to perform what is incumbent on them. 

 Woman, from her constitution and habits, is the natural nurse of 

 the sick; and in general no small portion of her time is spent 

 ministering at the couch of disease and suffering. 



No girl should consider her education complete, who is not ac- 

 quainted with the principles of the duties of a general nurse and a 

 temporary watcher. 



Up to a few years ago, while we had medical schools and col- 

 leges to educate physicians, there were but few institutions to edu- 

 cate nurses in their equally responsible calling, but there are now 

 training schools for nurses in all large cities, and every woman who 

 chooses nursing as a profession, or a means of livelihood, should take 

 a course of instruction at one of these schools. Where this educa- 

 tion is absent, or in case of non-professional persons, the instructions 

 here given should be carefully studied and put into practice in at- 

 tendance upon the sick. The study of Hygiene, or the laws of 

 health, should also be made a portion of the education of every girl. 

 Quiet The room of the patient should be kept free from noise. 

 The family and friends of the sick should be guided by this rule, 

 that no more persons may remain in the room of the sick than the 

 welfare of the patient demands. It is the duty of the physician to 

 direct when visitors can be admitted or excluded from the sick-room, 

 and the nurse should see that these directions are enforced. 



It is the duty of the nurse to ascertain the normal habits of the 

 patient as respects the period of eating and sleep when in health, 

 that she may prepare the food and arrange the sick room in accord- 

 ance with the practice of the patient. If the person who is sick is 

 ignorant of the necessity of the removal of the waste products from 

 the system, the nurse snould invite attention to these functions at 

 such periods as are in accordance with the previous habits of the 

 patient. 



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