La Junta Mennonite School of Nursing - Nightingale Yearbook (La Junta, CO)

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built. lt is tl1is that must and does live on. If we can pave the road which was at first but a rough footpath through the frontier the same spirit must live on. This is a sacred mis- sionary task. It dare not be secularized. With improved equipment and organization we dare not lose the soul of tlie hospital. During Sister Heatwole's last illness a certain patient i11 the hospital expressed her satis- faction in a Bible discussion which sl1e had with her. I never heard anyone explain the Bible like she did. But she never came back again. Other voices must 11ow speak the soul of the hospital. Our history is centered around this principle. ln addition to the marks of deep piety this pioneer trail is marked by good nursing. The first expectation of a patient in a hospital is good nursing. The history of the progress of our hospital is the story of the confidence won by good nursing. XVith some exceptions the testi- mony of patients has been commendatory of nursing care. 'The class of nurses which have been produced have won the approval of the State Board of Nurse Examiners. The percentage of registration of graduates has been above the average of the state. This nursing record has been established through Sister Heatwole's intuitive nursing ability. Many were the testi- monies of the sick of her deft nursing touch. The patient was to her the most important per- son in the hospital. Many testimonies have been given by patients how she adjusted a pillow. relieved pain, showed mercy. gave sacrificially. recognized symptoms, and spoke the word of cheer. The transmission of this spirit to the school has made good nursing our tradition. The Mennonite Hospital history centers around spiritual ideals. Physical equipment rep- resented i11 education, organization and equipment have been made secondary factors. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness has been the first aim. All these things shall be added unto you has been our promise. It is being proven true. Sister Heatwole has lived consistent with this aim and thus left the institution a heritage which shall continue to make history. ARRANGEMENT Administration Doctors Supervision Classes Departments Affiliation Today his the day of judgment--use plenty of it.

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deared herself to her patients by her skillful bedside nursing and won the confidence of others by her alert mental conception of the nurse's work. She. at this time. also showed her deep spiritual insight which was to be her guiding light in all her future work. After completing her training and taking a post-graduate course in tuberculosis nursing at Agnes Memorial Hospital. Denver, Colorado. sl1e was appointed Superintendent of Nurses of the Mennonite SZll1ll'2ll'llllll i11 the year 1917. At tl1is time there were less than twenty patients and about four student nurses. From this humble beginning she marched steadily forward un- til death. An alunmae of sixty-eight. a supervising and teaching staff of ten. a student body of thirty-six. and a 11ew standard Class A hospital are the visible results of the labors of which she had a leading part. The many expressions of appreciation from the Church, pa- tients. doctors and nurses are evidence of the very large place she filled in this work. The following telegram is freely reproduced as a tribute to her labors: April 22. 1932. Allen Erb. Superintendent of the Mennonite Hospital. La Junta. Colo. Sincere sympathy to Mennonite Hospital School of Nursing inhits loss of Lydia Heatwole. Folorado has lost airfable administrator and an excellent nurse. Our thoughts are with you i11 this time of sadness. Colorado State Board of Nurse Examiners. Sister Heatwole was a pioneer. She blazed the trail for others to follow. One who makes new paths has a 1110l'6 difficult task than one who has o11ly to follow the trail already clearly defined. The distinct outline of the history of the Mennonite Hospital follows the clear marks of the path of this pioneer trail. Uur hospital's history is marked first by a deep l'hristian piety. The original founders of the Sanitarium ill the years around 1906 were moved by a Christ-like missionary impulse. The sick were folk who had a soul and needed the Spirit of the Master in their ministry. To carly this ministry forward the workers were dependent on God. They had neither money or well trained workers. They l1ad to trust and obey God to secure results. Trust in God led to definite believing prayer. Money. workers, and patients were a con- stant subject of prayer. A common testimony of workers was that they often found Sister Heatwole alone praying. This practice of prayer has been established as a tradition of the institution. Money. workers. and the new hospital have been gotten through prayer. God has been taken into counsel and He has honored this trust. Full obedience to God follows prayer. Obedience in the hospital has meant a negative attitude toward the world and a positive attitude toward the Church. The Prince of the Power of the Air and the Head of the Church are each leading followers with different aims. objectives. and manner of life. Loyalty to Christ leads to true fellowship with and sub- mission to one another. With these principles there has developed i11 the hospital standards which have testified of a life separate unto God. All who associated with Sister Heatwole know the positive part she filled in the establish- ment of these standards. These include standards of private devotion, public worship, sacri- fice. consideration for others. personal work, pleasure, speech. and dress. A third phase of piety is an aggressive missionary zeal. This zeal has been a propelling force carrying the work of the hospital forward. This required faith. labor, and sacrifice. These are illustrated in the part Sister Heatwole fulfilled in the building of the new hospital. Her conviction with others had been growing that we should expand to include general medi- cal and surgical work. With this in view. an appeal was made to the General Mission Board to build a new hospital. XVhen action was deferred by the board. her vision, faith and enthusi- asm inspired the steps which led to the leasing of the old City Hospital. She with three pupil nurses. entered tl1e City Hospital January 1, 1920. This one building was the Nurses' Home and the hospital. Sister Heatwole was matron, instructress. operating room supervisor. Superintendent of Nurses. She cleaned. scrubbed. nursed. supervised. in- structed. taught. prayed. and worshipped. One student's testimony is representative of others. She said. When we were so crowded and distressed we hardly knew what to do, we knew Sister Heatwole was praying. lt was 11ot uncommon to find her somewhere in prayer. 1 tell you that put a spirit in the place that helped. When the house became crowded she was the first to give up her bed for a patient. The missionary zeal here expressed is the vital. dyna- mic impulse of the hospital. This is a unique phase of its history. Faith, works, sacrifice, love, loyalty: these are the warp and the woof of the fabric out of which the institution is l'Vc Heed models more time critics.

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