The following job description was given to floor nurses by a hospital in 1887
In addition to caring for your 50 patients, each nurse will follow these regulations:
1. Daily sweep and mop the floors of your ward, dust the patient's furniture and window sills.
2. Maintain an even temperature in 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 kerosene lamps, clean chimneys and trim wicks. Wash the windows once a week.
4. The nurse's notes are important in aiding the physicians work. Make your pens carefully; you may whittle nibs to your individual taste.
5. Each nurse on day duty will report every day at 7 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m. except on the Sabbath on which day you will will be off from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
6. Graduate nurses in good standing with the director of nurses will be given an evening off each week for courting purposes or two evenings a week if you go regularly to church.
7. Each nurse should lay aside from each pay day a goodly sum of her earnings for her benefits during her declining years so that she will not become a burden. For example, if you earn $30 a month you should set aside $15.
8. Any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in any form, gets her hair done at a beauty shop, or frequents dance halls will give the Director of Nurses good reason to suspect her worth, intentions and integrity.
9. The nurse who performs her labors and serves her patients and doctors without fault for five years will be given an increase of five cents a day, providing there are no hospital debts outstanding.
Oh my, how far we've come! I'm not sure I would have been able to fulfill these job requirements....
Debbie
7 comments:
Wow!!!! So glad it isn't that way anymore. And no dancing for you! ;)
Yes but if any of those 50 pts were the acuity of any of our hospitalized pts they would be dead and there would be only 1 or 2 for her to care for ;-)
So far and yet still so much more to go. Thanks for sharing.
Wow how times have changed. Thanks for sharing.
i like yor ost cause your post is very nice
Wow very entertaining post. Ive notice that there are many 1300 Number in Australia that giving to a business to give them many clients. Most busineses are using smart numbers to easily remember by their clients most especially in labor.
WOW! "lay aside from each pay day a goodly sum of her earnings for her benefits during her declining years so that she will not become a burden"
Save hard and that $15/ month might be worth something some day. Crazy to think how far we've come, even crazier to think how far we've yet to go.
Thanks for sharing!
Very tight rules :)
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