Night Nursing.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 64

Night Nursing.

A 'c-vei urn sv. wntintr on the -iitijut in tli" Jlo-pit.il Nui^niL' Su-tiem, dwc-lK on the :m])')itancp of self-cont ml ,cid (|U!ft depoitniint b\ the piobdtioneis. A night imi-e miiht pi-u-tisp .-elf-contiol It does not ,i'w.i\s -ec-in to be ben ne in 1 1 1 » < <i* her that tilt wakeful and -v kly are lic-r -pec nil bin den. She should, theiefcue. while giving hei cheeiful piesenc- to t^ch m her caie — fen theie l^ seldom an liosjmi.il waid Without some i on\ ales, ent- oi h as slrep the night thi ■mgh— lefiani fi om tlia* light ,\nd fnvolou-, talk with the Ji.ilc and hearty while poor little Tommy, with that Unible b.ick. is cal'riig fol iiiu-e. in 'the fi.ictme" two bed- belov. is waning ins chance of getting his heel-pad leadju^ted Nor l- it seemly for nurses to keep the "H P. " or "H S. ' conversing on evfiy to]>iL of the day spaumir at each othc-i iiicl ciacknig jokes until patient- wlm had awakened with a Kmp.ii.ny wmt wbi'h a ironii'iit'- se.\ice fiom mi'se would sUisfv aie thoiouuliiy aiou-ed. not to sle t j) again till th- 5 50"oi 4 o clock c-'attei of mut's .md plates, jnipating for the' eaih bieak-fa-t. foi bid- nioie iesi foi at least -onie houiNoi doe, c\ rv piobjt'einei lealise at oats the uuue-i Unce wX ujiiet deyoitment

on her own part. The ward-kitchen, often | so immediately near the ward, is visited by a fellow-nurse. Talk and laughter go on at the highest pitch of the voice, teacups are rattled, spoons tossed into saucers, toast scraped with energy, cupboard doors thrown open with a bang, doo^ handles allowed to jerk back, taps to rim, coals to fall, even fire-irons to slip and slide — every noise being emphasised in tho stillness Even the very waiting on the patients is done by «ome as though it were in the middle of the day, and the whole world astir. Bed pans are brought in two together, rattling the whole way up the ward, bowls and receivers set down on the locker with a will, scissors and instruments thrown clattering and jangling into enamel vessels, or the heedless nurse makes rive journeys to a bed in getting together hei necessaty dressings where one, or at the most two, should do, and, on occasions, does not omit to bung the flaring night lamp at the commencement of her prolonged preparations instead of at the last moment when all is ready. And these trifles — so trifling indeed that youngpr readers- may smile a t their foolishness — but w Inch soon run up and make a very serious deduction from the efficiency of a night muse, can be obviated by a little thought. The ovei looking of these matteis hardly comes under the head of training, technically speaking. It is a trait of character showing want of fellow-feeling. Any wonun, however, nimim; at being a "trained nuise " must see to it that s-he i- not above learning to do to otheis as she would be done by. and a nu^e once warded will soon find out the nutation and .inno\\nice which a careless nuise can cause.