Hinsdale Sanitarium and Hospital Nursing School - Fluoroscope Yearbook (Hinsdale, IL)

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.i i , 'E ,-Q3 r-F.- W -Evil Operating Room GERTRLYDE FLEMING RUSINE f ' PERATIONS, surgeons, scalpels, anaesthetics, sutures, cauteries. and trans- ei, QI fusions are terms which do not present an interesting picture to many in- n dividuals. Not so.with the Hinsdale nursesl .lVe come up the ladder, round ' by round, first viewing an operation occasionally and touching surgery in connection with other nursing subjects, then taking surgical nursing as a class subject, and later taking our drills in operating room technique. In our senior year, that eventful and long remembered period, we work in the operating room for hve or six weeks. Everyone feels a tinge of nervousness over the first operation in which she is to handle the instruments or prepare sutures. Our work is arranged in a progressive, systematic manner. Flunky nurse we have termed ourselves the first weekg professionally we are third nurse. Our duties are varied and many. VVe set the dressing trays, clean the instrument cup- boards, circulate during operations, wash the furniture in operating room after operations and mop the white tile floor. Quite a number of items might be added to this list differing somewhat with the work of the week. During our second week we are suture or second nurse. Then we feel that we are more a part of the surgical department. There may be from one to four, or even more operations scheduled for a day. An emergency comes in fre- quently and these do not wait until everything is cleaned up and we have enjoyed a good rest. In our busiest months we average about 100 operations. There are three nurses besides our supervisor, Miss McMartin, working in thc operating room in the daytime. In preparing for an operation the suture and in- strument nurses consume ten minutes in diligently scrubbing the hands and arms with a small scrub brush and green soap. This is done under running water. After soaking them in alcohol we don our sterile gowns and gloves. The sterile supplies are now opened and the tables and rings which hold the bowls containing the sterile solutions are draped. The instruments and suture ma- terial are boiled twenty minutes and then brought into the operating room where the sterile nurses arrange them on the tables and thread the needles with catgut and silkworm. The sponges are counted and all accounted for before the last closing of the wound. The patient is brought in on a carrier and transferred to the operating table. The anaesthetic may be started while the doctors are scrubbing up. Miss Beulah Sarber is our anaesthetist. Ether is the more commonly used anaesthetic although ethelyne is coming into popular favor. Nitrous oxide gas is frequently used for minor operations. During the operation the instrument nurse hands the instruments to the doctors as they have need of them. She keeps her table in order and a supply of operation there is the usual cleaning. If there is not another operation on at once We have a little time to make supplies and wrap the linen which is sterilized under steam pressure in one of the autoclaves. As a whole We enjoy our work in the operating room and look back on it as one of the high points in our training. It is a work which calls for co-operation, clean sponges on hand. After the punctuality and accuracy. Fifty-six A 1

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434- I shi could have his head inside, too, if he wanted to, but he's usually glad to have it out in the cool air. These heavy sweating treatments are very good in some cases. They are usually followed by a spray. This surely makes one feel as if he had a new lease on life. Now Mr. Payne, I see it is just 22.30. This is not treatment hour and I see no reason why we cannot eo through the ladies' treatment rooms as well if you like. There will be no patients in at this hour. I shall be glad to see them if you think best. You See their quarters are a little larger than those of the men. Over here is the electrical room where various kinds of treatments are given while the patient lies on the table. The arc-light with its powerful ray is used quite frequently. Here are a number of rest cols where the patient may rest after the treatment if she so desires. Right here we find the hair shampoo room. All these dressing booths are much the same as those in the me-n's division. XVe will take a glimpse into the fomentation room first. As we pass on we find the sitz room, half electric bath, Russian and spray rooms, electric cabinet. and tub rooms. These bath tubs are equipped with electrical apparatus, making: it possible lu give the sinusoidal and galvanic tub baths. As we walk on around, these rooms to left and right are treatment booths. XVhy, Mr. llarnes, we are right back where we started from, for here are the scales. I certainly should get lost here soon. I think yutl would soon tind yourself, Mr. Payne. The east end of the treat' ment room is quite the same as the other, except for the colon department with its booths. During our busiest season the number of treatments daily reaches about 130. including both treatment rooms. I thank you heartily, Mr. llarnes, for taking your time to show me throutrh Baby Sister's Arrival at the Nursery EDITH 0. DOERING j NIC bright. sunny morning in April a new flower blossomed even more ,gl lovely than the bright-faced pansy or the delicate little violet. A dear baby sister arrived at the sanitarium, having big blue eyes, a fat chubby 'LQLQ' body, but no teeth. The nurse, in her stripes, welcomes the little stranger to a new world. Baby registers by wearing a string of beadsg the name Baby Betty being on white beads in the center. The soft little bundle is placed on the scales, they bounce and at last balance at eight pounds, two ounces. The tiny, wrinkled foot is closely held against a dark, wet pad. then stamped upon a chart. The little picture stays even when baby must leave. Nurse next takes a long, lone string, holds it here, there and all over, prints a few words on the chart and says baby has been measured. Tiny Betty is dressed and carefully placed in her basket to rest for several hours. Listen! Surely we are not mistaken! Such a pathetic little cry from our new baby. It is time for her first feeding. After this she is put on a regular feeding schedule. Two weeks have passed. Baby Betty is dressed in 'her little bunting and takes her departure from the nursery to make her home with her fond parents. After nurse watches her little charge depart she hastens back .to the nursery where twenty-one others are calling her. Fifty-five

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