Christ Hospital School of Nursing - Tower Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 21 text:

Night Duty The slip is up ---we hear the student sayf That's night duty for me a week from today. Report for duty at ll 200 o'clock -- lYhich means that late leaves will have to stop. tW'l1en this week does roll around. here is an incomplete picture of what usually happcnsfj Buz ff'-Z-Z-z-Z-z-z-2-l HXVTILIYQS that- my alarm clock? Oli. no- my buzzer. Hello, a call for mc? lYhy. hello. Bill. I sound sleepy? Well. I just got up. To a movie? Sure - but I have to be in hy l0:tl0 o'clock. ShhhhhhhhHsuch laiiguage, Bill! Sure. l'rn on night duty again. XVell. O. K. See you in half-an-hour. Then later in the evening tl0:50. to be exactl: The student, all out of breath, signs in the late leave book and wonders how many demerits that will be to her credit. Hopes it isn't enough for a campus . She dashes for the elevator-rushes to her roomsdresscs hurriedly, and reports for duty just as the clock strikes ll 100. Any new patients? Two? And a possible emergency ? The student closes her eyes in an assumed faint and holds her head with both hands to steady her emotions. Lights flash! And the complaints she hears: l. Pain in my back. 2. Can't sleep. Il. Nauseated. 4.. . Bed pan. 5. Drink of water. And so far into the night the student dashes from room to room giving back rubs. flutllng pillows. filling ice bags, assisting with nourishmcnts, passing medicines, giving hypos , and perhaps assisting a mentally disturbed patient to sleep by just a friendly chat or a kind word of expression. Then there are those always dreaded moments when death lurks near. There are relatives to comfort. doctors to assistfall this to be accomplished without neglecting the patients in a less serious condition. and without confusion on the part of the nurse. Monotonous - you say? Never! There comes a certain satisfaction of having done your best and of giving comfort to those who are physically and mentally below par. This satisfaction compensates for tired, aching feet - loss of sleep g and weary hours of watchful, hopeful waiting. Thatls night duty to me. GLADYS LYKINS. 4991 L-

Page 20 text:

ff, ',,g,, ' I -N- er? Y :Rf fffs . :, mf- Q .I . 'f qszff . X. ' ' - . . . X: N l .., MISS ELIZABETH DUMM Instructor of Nursing MISS BERNICE GARDNER Instructor of Obstetrics ' n ,J -N.- I , F: 71 - ig ii' -jj?- T ' I 3 1 I MISS FLORENCE HESLAR Instructor of Operating Room Tvchnique MISS BEULAH DALTON Instructor of Science 'tl MISS SOPHIA ERNST Instructor of Massage MISS KATHRYN WEITZEL Instructor of Dirtvtics

Page 22 text:

Night Supervisors MISS URSULA HALL MISS WILMINA OAKES MISS FRANCES LAMPE Darkness falls once more on the great metropolis. To many it is the end of another day of work and they are glad of being able to settle down to an evening of quiet and relaxation. To a night nurse it means she is able to give care to those less fortunate, those who look forward to a night of rest in hopes of feeling better at the coming of dawn. Many need constant attention during the night, as well as during the day, treatments that lend to their comfort and cure, medi- cines that aid in relief of pain. In addition to direct nursing care there is routine sterilizing and cleaning of equipment to be done. Each chart, the individual record of a patient, is ruled at midnight to signify the beginning of a new day. Accurate notes are kept for the benefit of the new shift of nurses and for the doctors. Early in the morning special care is given to patients who are to be operatives during the day. So frequently the routine of night duty is broken by patients who are admitted and rushed to surgery for emergency operations. Night duty dull? Never! It is, we believe, the most exciting and fascinating term of duty one experiences as a student nurse. ,23-