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May 15, 1925
(II)
The Red Cross Courier
Linda Richards, Our First Graduate Nurse
By MARGARET THOMAS
T
10 America's first graduate nurse, Miss Linda Richards,
charge day and night, and when patients called they had
belongs the distinction of any pioneer who faces the
to rise and attend to them. Later, night nurses were
unknown. Today it is comparatively an uneventful
appointed.
matter to enter a training school of nursing and take up the
After graduation in 1873, Linda Richards was invited to
well ordered routine of nursing education. But 50 or so
become night superintendent in the Bellevue Hospital Train-
years ago it was arduous and difficult. Linda Richards, an
ing School, New York, where, nearly three decades later
enrolled American Red Cross nurse who, though 84 years
Jane A. Delano went as superintendent, to be followed a
old, still retains an interest in nursing, helped to
few years after her resignation by Clara D.
make possible many things in her profes-
Noyes. The Bellevue school was organized
sion. Incidentally, American Red Cross
by Sister Helen, an English sister of the All
Nurses will be interested to know that
Saints Order, who had had hospital
she led the way in hospitals, later
experience in London.
supervised by the two first Di-
No greater contrast between
rectors of the American Red Cross
Linda Richards' first experience on
Nursing Service. Quite re-
night duty and present night
cently she was present at the
duty can be imagined. The
jubilee graduation cere-
day nurses, as they left
mony of the Massa-
the wards, turned the gas
chusetts General Hos-
so low that a candle had
pital Training School, the
to be lit to do any work.
school which she founded
Only two candles a week
in 1874. It recalls many
were allowed each ward
memories of early nursing
so if the nurse burned her
in the United States and
candle liberally she her-
of her interesting and
self had to provide others.
eventful life.
The heat was turned off
In the days of the "born
from midnight to 3.00
nurse" of which she so
a. m. and the dreary cold
humorously speaks in her
of the wards in the chill
little volume of reminis-
night hours of a New York
cences, when training schools
winter can be imagined.
of nursing were visionary indeed,
When the captain of the night
she determined to become a
watch made his final rounds at
nurse. The desire came from the
5 a. m. he turned off all the gas,
need made patent by the Civil War.
leaving the wards in total darkness.
So in due time she entered the Boston
Patients seized the opportunity to
City Hospital as assistant nurse in a large
frolic and do all manner of things, so Linda
ward. Training was not a requisite to the
Richards complained. On her solemn
"assistant nurse" of those days. The work she
promise to see that no more gas was used than
did was that of the present ward maid. Of nursing she
was absolutely essential and to turn it off as soon as it was
learned little if anything, and the hard tasks set so affected
dawn, night light was allowed the nurses.
her health that she left within three months.
FTER a year at Bellevue, she went to the Massachusetts
H
ER next attempt to learn nursing was at the New Eng-
General Hospital as superintendent of the training school,
land Hospital for Women and Children, the first Ameri-
which she was to organize and develop. American Red
can training school of nursing, of which many years later
Cross Nurses who have done pioneer work in countries
Clara D. Noyes, now Director of the American Red Cross
where modern nursing, before their advent, was unknown,
Nursing Service, became superintendent. Miss Richards
and who have helped to establish training schools, will have
was the first student of a class of five to enroll her name
some appreciation of her task. They had resources behind
and so the first to graduate. The course in those early days
them; she had to make hers. The conservative medical and
lasted a year. Nurses rose at 5.30 a. m. and left the wards
surgical staff were against this experiment of educating
to go to bed at 9.00 p. m.; but that did not necessarily mean,
women for nursing. She succeeded, however, in training
in the first six months, to rest. The same nurses were in
nurses, increasing the size of the school, and having all wards
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"ocrText": "ch\nan\nMay 15, 1925\n(II)\nThe Red Cross Courier\nLinda Richards, Our First Graduate Nurse\nBy MARGARET THOMAS\nT\n10 America's first graduate nurse, Miss Linda Richards,\ncharge day and night, and when patients called they had\nbelongs the distinction of any pioneer who faces the\nto rise and attend to them. Later, night nurses were\nunknown. Today it is comparatively an uneventful\nappointed.\nmatter to enter a training school of nursing and take up the\nAfter graduation in 1873, Linda Richards was invited to\nwell ordered routine of nursing education. But 50 or so\nbecome night superintendent in the Bellevue Hospital Train-\nyears ago it was arduous and difficult. Linda Richards, an\ning School, New York, where, nearly three decades later\nenrolled American Red Cross nurse who, though 84 years\nJane A. Delano went as superintendent, to be followed a\nold, still retains an interest in nursing, helped to\nfew years after her resignation by Clara D.\nmake possible many things in her profes-\nNoyes. The Bellevue school was organized\nsion. Incidentally, American Red Cross\nby Sister Helen, an English sister of the All\nNurses will be interested to know that\nSaints Order, who had had hospital\nshe led the way in hospitals, later\nexperience in London.\nsupervised by the two first Di-\nNo greater contrast between\nrectors of the American Red Cross\nLinda Richards' first experience on\nNursing Service. Quite re-\nnight duty and present night\ncently she was present at the\nduty can be imagined. The\njubilee graduation cere-\nday nurses, as they left\nmony of the Massa-\nthe wards, turned the gas\nchusetts General Hos-\nso low that a candle had\npital Training School, the\nto be lit to do any work.\nschool which she founded\nOnly two candles a week\nin 1874. It recalls many\nwere allowed each ward\nmemories of early nursing\nso if the nurse burned her\nin the United States and\ncandle liberally she her-\nof her interesting and\nself had to provide others.\neventful life.\nThe heat was turned off\nIn the days of the \"born\nfrom midnight to 3.00\nnurse\" of which she so\na. m. and the dreary cold\nhumorously speaks in her\nof the wards in the chill\nlittle volume of reminis-\nnight hours of a New York\ncences, when training schools\nwinter can be imagined.\nof nursing were visionary indeed,\nWhen the captain of the night\nshe determined to become a\nwatch made his final rounds at\nnurse. The desire came from the\n5 a. m. he turned off all the gas,\nneed made patent by the Civil War.\nleaving the wards in total darkness.\nSo in due time she entered the Boston\nPatients seized the opportunity to\nCity Hospital as assistant nurse in a large\nfrolic and do all manner of things, so Linda\nward. Training was not a requisite to the\nRichards complained. On her solemn\n\"assistant nurse\" of those days. The work she\npromise to see that no more gas was used than\ndid was that of the present ward maid. Of nursing she\nwas absolutely essential and to turn it off as soon as it was\nlearned little if anything, and the hard tasks set so affected\ndawn, night light was allowed the nurses.\nher health that she left within three months.\nFTER a year at Bellevue, she went to the Massachusetts\nH\nER next attempt to learn nursing was at the New Eng-\nGeneral Hospital as superintendent of the training school,\nland Hospital for Women and Children, the first Ameri-\nwhich she was to organize and develop. American Red\ncan training school of nursing, of which many years later\nCross Nurses who have done pioneer work in countries\nClara D. Noyes, now Director of the American Red Cross\nwhere modern nursing, before their advent, was unknown,\nNursing Service, became superintendent. Miss Richards\nand who have helped to establish training schools, will have\nwas the first student of a class of five to enroll her name\nsome appreciation of her task. They had resources behind\nand so the first to graduate. The course in those early days\nthem; she had to make hers. The conservative medical and\nlasted a year. Nurses rose at 5.30 a. m. and left the wards\nsurgical staff were against this experiment of educating\nto go to bed at 9.00 p. m.; but that did not necessarily mean,\nwomen for nursing. She succeeded, however, in training\nin the first six months, to rest. The same nurses were in\nnurses, increasing the size of the school, and having all wards"
}