Organization of nursing : an account of the Liverpool Nurses' Training School, its foundation, progress, and operation in hospital, district, and private nursing.

  • Liverpool. Royal Infirmary. Training School and Home for Nurses.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Organization of nursing : an account of the Liverpool Nurses' Training School, its foundation, progress, and operation in hospital, district, and private nursing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material is part of the Elmer Belt Florence Nightingale collection. The original may be consulted at University of California Libraries.

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    fact well known by medical men, that for more patients die unnecessarily (or live with permanently impaired health) from defective nursing, in families who could and would gladly pay for efficient nursing if procurable, than even under the defective nursing which till lately was almost general in Hospitals. Most of the Hospital Nurses had at least some knov/ledge of what they were about. However devoted and watchful the relative or the^private Nurse may be, while she is gaining her experience of what ought to bo done, the object of her care has often passed out of its reach, or her own health has given way, and death has thus multiplied its victims. If relieved by the aid of a trained Nurse, she might with an easy mind have left her charge and obtained the necessary rest. We refer to the explanations, page 25 of the fuller statement, for elucidation and confirmation of these views. Before proceeding further, we applied for opinions from competent judges; some of whicli we subjoin : Extracts frum the Minutes of the Medical Board. Liverpool Royal Infirmary, April G, 1861. The opinioa of the Medical Board of the Liverpool Royal Lifirmary having bee!! requested respecting a proposed scheme for the improvement of nursing, tlte following Resolution was agreed to:— ' The Medical Board of the Liverpool Royal Infirmary are of opinion that women trained for hospital and district, as well as for private nmsing, are very much required, and having read the scheme proposed to remedy thip want, they consider it admirably adapted to meet the exigencies of the case.' (Signed) James Vose, M. D. Henry Stubbs. James Turnbull, M. D. James Long. Thomas Inraan, M. D. E. W. Bickersteth. Miss Nightingale says :— The public hitherto has had a very inadequate idea of what is meant by musing the sick. There has been little demand for really good Nurses, and consequently very few such have been available. We know more clearly than heretofore that the care of the sick demands acquirements of a much higher oj'der than the common Nurse can attain to. The Nurse's work is in fact a very important part of medical practice, and for its due exercise requires a considerable amount of knowledge, both of the laws of beakli and of disease. At present a Nurse, however wUiinij, haa no ojqwr-