Lancaster General Hospital Nursing - Nightingale Yearbook (Lancaster, PA)

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gb' ff .A G X E x.. 3' of Q X X Eff, ,J I is TWENTY FOUR

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ls. ' - 4' -iii t A .- .. . ff V .... -L .. Mildred Hilt, R.N. Helen Riley, R.N. Anna M. Ginder, R.N. Evening Supervisor of Nursing Service Evening Supervisor of Nursing Service Night Supervisor of Nursing Service After we had received our caps, and had gained some valuable ward experience, we were soon assigned to evening and night duty. Even our new caps and bibs didn't give us much cour- age as we reported on duty at three o'clock for the first time. How would we, with our limited knowledge and experience, ever be able to take responsibility for a whole iioor? We learned that experience is indeed an excellent teacher. We had the basic knowledge and skills-now we needed to learn how to organize and carry out that knowledge. As we became accustomed to the evening routine, we began to enjoy our work. We were in charge and solely responsible for patient care, and it was an exhilarating although sobering thought. We had always looked upon night duty with awe-to us it was a shift packed with excite- ment and romance, and surrounded with an aura of mystery. We gazed upon the gay group of night duty girls at breakfast with envy, wondering what tragedy and drama they had witnessed during the night. But when the evening duty nurse left us alone after her report that first night, we were not aware of romance and mystery- -we were just scared! It was dark outside and we were all alone, and hadn't someone told us that everyone always died at night! However we soon realized that the night held nothing to fear-for us. It was the patient who needed comfort and reassurance, and the knowledge that he was not all alone in his pain. And so, by helping and comforting others, we forgot our own misgivings and fears. Our adolescent imaginings were not entirely devastated, however. We found plenty of trag- edy and excitement and romance while working those topsy-turvy hours. The unscheduled ad- mission, the coronary who suddenly went bad , the gradual fading away of a weary spirit-yes, there was plenty to keep us working and interested. And who among us has not paused in her duties to watch the setting sun glow against these buii colored walls? Then, a sense of peace and accomplishment steals over us, taking away weariness and tension. We are a part of this place, and we are glad of it. Weill never forget that musty peculiar odor of the old elevator-a smell peculiar to the hours between eleven and seven, the hushed voice of the operator over the loud speaker, the hilarity of late supper, the nights the clock crept its way toward seven o'clock, and the nights the time iiew by on wings. And is there a better feeling than to watch the sunrise after a busy night's work-to watch the world come alive and know that soon it will be our turn to sleep! TWENTY-SIX