St Anthonys School of Nursing - Acorn Yearbook (Oklahoma City, OK)

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GRI-XDUATIGN ADDRESS The School of Nursing of sf. Antbongfs Hospital May 10, 1952 DON H. O,DONOGHUE, M.D. It is with considerable gratification that I appear here to participate in the graduation exercises of this 1952 class of nurses of St. Anthony's Hospital. I have had the privilege of helping in the professional advancement, patching up skeletal structure and even in some small way building the moral stamina of this group through your learning to tolerate my own impatient demands. Some of you with tongue in cheek, have suggested that I take advantage of this opportunity to state in public some of the de- ficiencies that I have pointed out to you in private. Time will not permit nor courage suffice for such a major project. Many have -been free with anecdotes with which to leaven my talk, but by the time I have properly fitted them to this environment, I find that they are heavier than the speech itself so I will forego regaling you with the adventures of this and that and we all shall profit thereby. Seriously, I have a very warm feeling for this group reaching closer to your heart's desire tonight. It includes many good friends and capable associates in the healing art so important to us all. To the physician and the nurse, this profession must be truly close to the heart. May I extend to you my congratulations on your chosen field. You have chosen no sterile pursuit conceived in boredom and dedicated to mechanical perfection. Yours is a living, vibrant profession, ever changing, ever advancing, ever seeking improvement. True enough, many of its aspects hold little glamour and if one becomes over-obsessed with the tedium of bed-making and pan-toting, the spark may be lost. These things are the dross from which pure gold may be distilled, for where is the job that does not have its distaste- ful moments. These moments should merely serve to point up and emphasize the more stimulating aspects of this interesting and valuable profession. Why is medical science so very invigorating and why does it offer such rich rewards? Have our main medical goals been attained? Are we resting on the plateau from which we must inevitably descend or are we still climbing with the goal ever higher? Some years ago, the exact moment is unimportant, I stood on the pinnacle of graduation, clutching an M.D.n in one hand and my illusions in the other. Suddenly, it seemed to me that I had arrived too late, all medical goals seemed attained. The giants in my chosen profession had solved most problems and left for me only the prosaic task of carrying out their dictums. True, lwrniciout anemia could not be relieved or cured, the diagnosis of staphylococcal septicemia was a death warrant, anlibiotics were to be impossible since that which would known destroy bacteria would destroy body tissue as well, fool would dare to operate on the heartg only a xypbilis could probably never be cured, an old person breaking a hip should really not expect to Walk again. Yes indeed, it seemed that there was little left to do in this ancient field of medicine. On my turning to orthopeclics, a relatively new specialty twenty-five years ago, I found things little better. All the diseases had been described, all opera- tions planned and named after their originators. Reaching Oklahoma and the Crippled Cl'1ildren's Hospital, I found the five major causes of crippling were: first, tuberculosis of bone and joint, second, osteomelitisg third, poliomyelitis, fourth, spastic paralysis, fifth, congenital deformities. Let 'us re- view for a few minutes what has happened to these conditions that I had so sadly thought offered no new fields for conquest. First, tuberculosis. The Crippled Children's Hos- pital was planned with an outdoor porch on every floor and every wing in order to accomodate the sun treatment of tuberculosis. Wards were full of tuberculosis of the spine, of the hip, of the knee, all in various -stages of plaster casts or metal frames with traction appliances. Where are they now? The tremendous nursing problem of the child confined in bed, in a frame or cast for two, three, four, five or even six years is no longer a common one. I com- plained to an associate the other day that we hardly had enough tuberculosis to teach students and resi- dents properly. His enlightened reply, 'lWhy teach it then?,' seems pertinent indeed. What has happened? A combination of associated sciences has cleaned up dairy herds, pasteurized milk, improved feeding of babies, revised hospital care, devised new operative techniques. The result: tuberculosis of the bone is no longer a major problem. Second, osteomyelitis. A few short years ago, we all dreaded the arrival of the youngster with acute osteo. At best, it meant months of morbidity and per- manent crippling, at worst, death. It was combatted by surgery, general support, transfusion and other measures but remained a tremendous nursing problem. Slowly, the advent of antibiotics, first Prontosil, then sulphas, then Penicillin, Chloromyce- tin, Streptomycin and a host of others has all but eliminated this scorge of childhood. Third, polio. Here is a disease carrying a tre- mendous challenge which seems unsolved and un- solvable, but wait! Consider a few moments the changes in polio care within the last few years. Until 1943, no acute case of polio was knowingly admitted to any hospital in Oklahoma. The early Care of polio now considered all important was unknown twenty- five years ago. Now, early care, a great deal of it, nursing care, is decreasing mortality, reducing mor- bidity, preventing crippling deformities-yet much remains to be done. The cause must be carefully studied and preventatives found. Fourth, cerebral palsy. I'Iere is a 'virgin field for yeoman work that is being more and more recognized today. Largely a problem of understanding care, careful instruction and patient guidance, it can be much better done by the nurse than the doctor. Some of you may find your goal in this productive field. I could go on down the list ad infinitum, but I have said enough to have you see that nursing is not a static field, that the goal is not yet in sight, that there are never ending possibilities for service. For only in service to others can you 'fully realize your own potentialities. If you have chosen nursing as a means of livelihood only, you have chosen unwisely. In other fields you may perhaps reach greater pecuniary rewards with less physical effort and cer- tainly wi,th legbmental anguish. But, if you have chosen thissfield to justify long hours, hard physical labor, grevious disappointment, at 'times almost com- plete frustration, where can you get better fulfill- ment than the thanks of the distracted parent, the grateful look of the patient to whom you have brought relief or the feeling of membership in the team which has preserved life. May your victories be many, your defeats few, your labors heavy and your pleasures well deserved. May 10, 1952.

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Senior Breakfas Mother- Daughter