Brandon Hospital School of Nursing - Ego Yearbook (Brandon, Manitoba Canada)

Page 6 text:

THE MEDICAL STAFF BACK ROW, Left to Right: Doctor Martin, Doctor Cziller, Doctor Schlichter. FRONT ROW, Left to Right: Doctor Tyndel, Doctor Gill, Doctor Trotter. MISSING FROM PICTURE: Doctor Schultz, Doc¬ tor Bristow, Doctor Forster. To us they have given: M edical advice E ducation D irection I nspiration C orrection A ssistance L oyalty S upervision T houghtfulness A cceptance F acts F un Doctor Grossman, Doctor Lapko

Page 5 text:

TO THE GRADUATING CLASSES Mrs. J. H. B. Hannah, R.N. In contemplating all that I would like to say to you, how to ex¬ press the thoughts and ideals that perhaps we did not manage to con¬ vey in the time you’ve been with us—I decided to begin with A Prayer” by St. Francis of Assisi. This prayer, ’though all of 700 years old, is needed as much, if not even more today, than in that far yesterday. Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace! Where there is hatred—let me sow love Where there is injury—pardon Where there is doubt—faith Where there is despair—hope Where there is sadness—joy! O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled—as to console To be understood—as to understand To be loved—as to love, for It is in giving—that we receive It is in pardoning—that we are pardoned. It is in dying—that we are born to eternal life.” We should all feel a sense of responsibility to work for the corporate good of all. If your life is motivated with the vital purpose of doing all you can for others; you will actually begin to live some of your heaven on earth. You will stay young in spirit and you will develop a gaiety of heart that will carry you through many trying circum¬ stances. All people want to be truly loved and not just tolerated. As you grow in love for others you will find your horizons expanding and your power for good increasing. Even your sense of proportion will grow as you take yourself less seriously and others more seriously. Nursing is your profession—your means of earning a living and your means of serving God through your fellow men. It is a privilege to have unfortunate people placed in your care ahd in your confidence. Each patient is a treasure chest of oppor¬ tunity for the nurse. She has within her grasp a tremendous force for good. And what of those patients that seemingly only a mother could love? Keep this thought in mind when attending them — If you changed places, could this patient, as a nurse see some¬ thing to love in you, and be tactful, gentle and kind? Fulfill to the fullest measure possible, the purpose for which you were created: to love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself. The happiness, the enjoyment, the satisfaction you get in nursing—depends on you. You are important and you do count! No matter who you are or what you are or where you may be; you can make the world itself at least a tiny bit better because you are in it. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Whether you have lived enough depends not upon your years but upon your inner self. Your posi¬ tion in itself may seem quite unimportant but you can make it of the greatest impor¬ tance by the role you play in it. Do not necessarily seek to go up the ladder to material success in life, but rather go deep into life—Learn as if you were to live forever. The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. To reach a desired port we must sometimes sail with the wind, and sometimes against it. Learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Also keep in mind that com¬ plaining and citicizing accomplish little or nothing. You should spend your time im¬ proving; not disapproving—because you know that it is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” The speck of light produced will be greater than all the dark¬ ness around it—That is how it is with us. The least of us, no matter how seemingly in¬ significant, is like a pinpoint of light in the darkness, and is therefore greater than all the encircling gloom. All that is needed to remove the rest of the darkness is to multi¬ ply that speck of light—darkness disappears in the same proportion as light is added. It is as simple as that. Reflect on this. Put it into practice and you will have the pleasure of knowing that in however small a measure you are building—not destroying. There are events in one’s life that can be expressed as high lights.” It is our hope that your years as students in this School of Nursing will always be memorable ones. God bless you one and all.

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THE OUT-PATIENT AND CHILD-GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT By William Forster, M.B., B.S., DTJM. Mental ill-health is a problem of vast magnitude. The necessity of its prevention or early treatment is obvious. The out-patient and child-guidance department of the Brandon Hospital for Mental Diseases has been established to help meet the problem: to deal with childhood disturbances which might lead to adult neurosis or psychosis, and to treat both adults and children short of hospital admission. The clinic is housed in a cottage in the hospital grounds, and staffed by a psychia¬ trist, psychologist, social worker and secretary. Adults are seen in consultation with the family doctor; but children may be referred from any source provided the parents give consent. Children are referred mainly by family doctors, parents, teachers, health units, welfare bodies, and occasionally the juvenile courts. The most frequent problems met with in children are backwardness at school; personality difficulties such as excessive shyness; aggressiveness; speech disorders; anxiety states; enuresis; encopresis; and all types of behaviour disorder. Epileptic states, organic cerebral conditions and juvenile psychoses make up the remainder. Adults present with neuroses, early psychoses, and various difficulties in adjustment to themselves, to mar¬ riage or to society. Examination of each child takes around two to three hours, and includes routine Electroencephalogram, investigation of the family by the social worker of P.H.N., administration of ' a battery of ability and personality tests by the psychologist, and formal psychiatric examination. A staff conference follows in order to outline treat¬ ment. This may range from simply advising the parents or teacher how to handle the problem, to remedial training for a reading disability or play therapy or psychotherapy over several months for more serious disturbances. In addition to work in Brandon and district the clinic visits Neepawa, Virden, Rivers, Dauphin, Swan River, and Flin Flon. Here its-role is diagnostic and advisory, and suggestions may be given to the doctor, P.H.N., parents or teacher on handling the problems they submit. Routine intelligence tests (last year over 1600) are carried out in the schools to assist teachers in assessing their pupils. Similar tests of ability, designed for in¬ fants, are performed to assist the Children’s Aid Society assess their cases for adoption. The majority of adults attending the clinic are suffering from some form of neurosis. They are treated by psychotherapy for the most part, efforts being directed towards helping them understand themselves so that they can deal with their problems realistically. The majority suffer from an anxiety state—probably the commonest chronic ailment of modern times. Early depressions form another relatively large group attending the clinic. They are treated by electro-shock on an out-patient basis, either from home or the Brandon General Hospital. The aim of the clinic is essentially prevention : prevention of childhood disturb- ances from turning into adult ' disease, and prevention of adult neuroses or early psy¬ choses from progressing to hospital admission. The graph which shows the number of cases seen in the clinic is taking a steady upward course. We like to feel that this is not only the result of the reputation of the psychiatric work of the hospital as a whole but also of a more enlightened attitude of the public towards psychiatric disorders.