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The Red Cross Courier
(12)
May 15,1930
asmuch as the Massachusetts institution, albeit first in the
tendent and those incident to teaching her nurses, she took
field, was not founded entirely upon the principles laid down
personal charge of all special night duty and also of all serious
by Florence Nightingale, but was directed by doctors with no
cases. Fortunately she was blessed with unusual strength and
nurse in charge, Bellevue seemed to be entitled to its claim
endurance and was endowed with an optimistic and serene
of seniority.
disposition. Not otherwise could she have withstood the
Almost as providential as the appearance of Sister Helen,
physical and nerve-wracking strain of such an ordeal. But
a Nightingale nurse, upon the scene at the moment when the
after three months she had her reward. The hospital super-
committee sponsoring the Bellevue School was anxiously seek-
intendent informed her that the trustees had voted to give her
ing a properly qualified superintendent, was the coincidence
and her pupils another ward, adding "the school is safe. Be-
that enabled Linda Richards to fill the breach as night super-
fore another year comes around you will have the nursing of
intendent. She had just graduated from the New England
the entire hospital in charge.' The prophecy was realized
school and was probably the only person of native birth in
and at the end of I2 months the school was firmly estab-
America who could have satisfactorily fulfilled the arduous
lished, the nurses rejoicing in a small but comfortable home.
duties of her post.
Two and a half years later Miss Richards resigned to pur-
As night superintendent of Bellevue the magnitude of her
sue in England the study of training school methods. It was
labors would have dismayed a less poised and capable spirit.
a most illuminating and interesting experience, not the least
Sister Helen's instructions were that she should see each head
of which was her visit to Miss Nightingale in her London
nurse before she left for the night, take her orders, send all
home. She spent six months in St. Thomas Hospital and one
calls to the physicians, give out all medicines, take personal
each at Kings College, London, and the Royal Infirmary of
care of all serious cases, instruct the nurses in their duties
Edinburgh. Later she crossed the Channel to visit the leading
every hour, and report to each head nurse in the morning be-
French hospitals.
fore going off duty. With five wards containing about IOO
patients the amount of detail involved would have bewildered
PON her return to the United States she accepted the
invitation of Boston City Hospital to establish a school
any but the most valiant and efficient.
All reports and orders up to that time had been verbal.
of nursing there. In 1885 she was importuned by the Amer-
ican Board of Missions to undertake the most difficult task
Miss Richards, however, with her conscientious and personal
interest in every human being with whom she came into con-
she had yet attempted, that of founding a school of nursing
tact, was in the habit of making notes on each case so that
under their auspices in Japan. Miss Richards was prevailed
the day nurses might be better informed in preparing the daily
upon to go. She felt that much was owing to the noble band
written reports required by Sister Helen. One day a physician
of Christian women through whose local missionary societies
found some of Miss Richard's notes on one of his patients,
recruiting for the right sort of candidates for the American
every detail so intelligently recorded that he was delighted
schools of nursing had been carried on. To her delight she
and lost no time in recommending to the superintendent that
found that the Japanese women, with their native gentleness,
mental alertness and manual deftness made admirable nurses.
hereafter written reports be handed in for the full 24 hours.
Their countrymen recognized the value of this latest innova-
AT THE END of her first year at Bellevue Miss Richards
tion from the Occident and the graduates of Miss Richards'
was urged by Sister Helen to become her assistant, but
instruction went forth to carry the gospel of her school
the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston was desirous
throughout the Island Kingdom. It was in Japan also that
of establishing a school of nursing and solicited her services
the first home nursing fundamentals, now included in the Red
as superintendent. This hospital ranked then, as now, as
Cross Service-Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick-were
one of the foremost in the country. It was there that the
introduced by Miss Richards as a natural development of
first major operation under ether had been performed.
the universal interest displayed by the Japanese. Sponsored
"Nurses" employed there were of highly estimable type, consci-
by leading citizens she addressed groups of matrons in private
entious, intelligent and faithful-ideal material out of which
homes, giving through an interpreter simple lectures supple-
to weld such a school as would justify the amazing innova-
mented by demonstrations on the principles of health and
tions recommended by "The Lady of the Lamp." Yet, under
prophylaxis.
the existing régimé, their lot was one of most exhausting
When she returned to America after a trip around the
drudgery. They worked from 5 a. m. until 9.30 p. m., with
world it was to find her services in such demand that it be-
an occasional hour off. Their sleeping quarters consisted of
came almost embarrassing to decide which offer to accept.
small rooms between the wards used during the day as con-
Successively schools of nursing were established or reorgan-
sulting rooms, dressing stations, even as places for performing
ized in the Methodist Hospital, Philadelphia; the Homeo-
minor operations. At night a folding bed was let down and
pathic Hospital, Brooklyn; the Hartford Hospital, Connecti-
the tired nurses crept into it, two to a bed. Rotation of duty
cut, and the University Hospital, Philadelphia. Miss Rich-
included a certain period for the care of patients and a certain
ards then turned her sympathies and boundless energy to the
period at the wash tubs. Every member of the medical staff,
remedying of the pitiable conditions existing in our insane
with two exceptions, was solidly opposed to the "new-fangled"
asylums. Beginning with the State Hospital for the Insane,
ideas of nursing. Miss Richards realized that the whole sys-
at Taunton, Mass., where she instituted a system of training
tem was on trial and that if she failed a death blow would
adapted to the care of the mentally sick, she labored assidu-
be dealt to the cause so dear to her heart.
ously for many years in this comparatively untouched field.
To the success of the proposition she gave everything that
When the bill to secure the employment of women nurses
was in her. In addition to her supervisory duties as superin-
in the hospital service of the United States Army by act of
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"ocrText": "The Red Cross Courier\n(12)\nMay 15,1930\nasmuch as the Massachusetts institution, albeit first in the\ntendent and those incident to teaching her nurses, she took\nfield, was not founded entirely upon the principles laid down\npersonal charge of all special night duty and also of all serious\nby Florence Nightingale, but was directed by doctors with no\ncases. Fortunately she was blessed with unusual strength and\nnurse in charge, Bellevue seemed to be entitled to its claim\nendurance and was endowed with an optimistic and serene\nof seniority.\ndisposition. Not otherwise could she have withstood the\nAlmost as providential as the appearance of Sister Helen,\nphysical and nerve-wracking strain of such an ordeal. But\na Nightingale nurse, upon the scene at the moment when the\nafter three months she had her reward. The hospital super-\ncommittee sponsoring the Bellevue School was anxiously seek-\nintendent informed her that the trustees had voted to give her\ning a properly qualified superintendent, was the coincidence\nand her pupils another ward, adding \"the school is safe. Be-\nthat enabled Linda Richards to fill the breach as night super-\nfore another year comes around you will have the nursing of\nintendent. She had just graduated from the New England\nthe entire hospital in charge.' The prophecy was realized\nschool and was probably the only person of native birth in\nand at the end of I2 months the school was firmly estab-\nAmerica who could have satisfactorily fulfilled the arduous\nlished, the nurses rejoicing in a small but comfortable home.\nduties of her post.\nTwo and a half years later Miss Richards resigned to pur-\nAs night superintendent of Bellevue the magnitude of her\nsue in England the study of training school methods. It was\nlabors would have dismayed a less poised and capable spirit.\na most illuminating and interesting experience, not the least\nSister Helen's instructions were that she should see each head\nof which was her visit to Miss Nightingale in her London\nnurse before she left for the night, take her orders, send all\nhome. She spent six months in St. Thomas Hospital and one\ncalls to the physicians, give out all medicines, take personal\neach at Kings College, London, and the Royal Infirmary of\ncare of all serious cases, instruct the nurses in their duties\nEdinburgh. Later she crossed the Channel to visit the leading\nevery hour, and report to each head nurse in the morning be-\nFrench hospitals.\nfore going off duty. With five wards containing about IOO\npatients the amount of detail involved would have bewildered\nPON her return to the United States she accepted the\ninvitation of Boston City Hospital to establish a school\nany but the most valiant and efficient.\nAll reports and orders up to that time had been verbal.\nof nursing there. In 1885 she was importuned by the Amer-\nican Board of Missions to undertake the most difficult task\nMiss Richards, however, with her conscientious and personal\ninterest in every human being with whom she came into con-\nshe had yet attempted, that of founding a school of nursing\ntact, was in the habit of making notes on each case so that\nunder their auspices in Japan. Miss Richards was prevailed\nthe day nurses might be better informed in preparing the daily\nupon to go. She felt that much was owing to the noble band\nwritten reports required by Sister Helen. One day a physician\nof Christian women through whose local missionary societies\nfound some of Miss Richard's notes on one of his patients,\nrecruiting for the right sort of candidates for the American\nevery detail so intelligently recorded that he was delighted\nschools of nursing had been carried on. To her delight she\nand lost no time in recommending to the superintendent that\nfound that the Japanese women, with their native gentleness,\nmental alertness and manual deftness made admirable nurses.\nhereafter written reports be handed in for the full 24 hours.\nTheir countrymen recognized the value of this latest innova-\nAT THE END of her first year at Bellevue Miss Richards\ntion from the Occident and the graduates of Miss Richards'\nwas urged by Sister Helen to become her assistant, but\ninstruction went forth to carry the gospel of her school\nthe Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston was desirous\nthroughout the Island Kingdom. It was in Japan also that\nof establishing a school of nursing and solicited her services\nthe first home nursing fundamentals, now included in the Red\nas superintendent. This hospital ranked then, as now, as\nCross Service-Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick-were\none of the foremost in the country. It was there that the\nintroduced by Miss Richards as a natural development of\nfirst major operation under ether had been performed.\nthe universal interest displayed by the Japanese. Sponsored\n\"Nurses\" employed there were of highly estimable type, consci-\nby leading citizens she addressed groups of matrons in private\nentious, intelligent and faithful-ideal material out of which\nhomes, giving through an interpreter simple lectures supple-\nto weld such a school as would justify the amazing innova-\nmented by demonstrations on the principles of health and\ntions recommended by \"The Lady of the Lamp.\" Yet, under\nprophylaxis.\nthe existing régimé, their lot was one of most exhausting\nWhen she returned to America after a trip around the\ndrudgery. They worked from 5 a. m. until 9.30 p. m., with\nworld it was to find her services in such demand that it be-\nan occasional hour off. Their sleeping quarters consisted of\ncame almost embarrassing to decide which offer to accept.\nsmall rooms between the wards used during the day as con-\nSuccessively schools of nursing were established or reorgan-\nsulting rooms, dressing stations, even as places for performing\nized in the Methodist Hospital, Philadelphia; the Homeo-\nminor operations. At night a folding bed was let down and\npathic Hospital, Brooklyn; the Hartford Hospital, Connecti-\nthe tired nurses crept into it, two to a bed. Rotation of duty\ncut, and the University Hospital, Philadelphia. Miss Rich-\nincluded a certain period for the care of patients and a certain\nards then turned her sympathies and boundless energy to the\nperiod at the wash tubs. Every member of the medical staff,\nremedying of the pitiable conditions existing in our insane\nwith two exceptions, was solidly opposed to the \"new-fangled\"\nasylums. Beginning with the State Hospital for the Insane,\nideas of nursing. Miss Richards realized that the whole sys-\nat Taunton, Mass., where she instituted a system of training\ntem was on trial and that if she failed a death blow would\nadapted to the care of the mentally sick, she labored assidu-\nbe dealt to the cause so dear to her heart.\nously for many years in this comparatively untouched field.\nTo the success of the proposition she gave everything that\nWhen the bill to secure the employment of women nurses\nwas in her. In addition to her supervisory duties as superin-\nin the hospital service of the United States Army by act of"
}