As today (12 May) is International Nurses day, I thought I’ll share this hilarious 1887 Nursing Job Description with you. Have a look…
In addition to caring for your 50 patients, each bedside nurse will follow these regulations:
- Daily sweep and mop the floors of your ward, dust the patient’s furniture and window sills.
- Maintain an even temperature in your ward by bringing in a scuttle of coal for the day’s business.
- Light is important to observe the patient’s condition. Therefore, each day fill kerosene lamps, clean chimneys and trim wicks.
- The nurse’s notes are important in aiding your physician’s work. Make your pens carefully; you may whittle nibs to your individual taste.
- Each nurse on day duty will report every day at 7 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m., except on the Sabbath, on which day she will be off from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
- Graduate nurses in good standing with the director of nurses will be given an evening off each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if you go regularly to church.
- Each nurse should lay aside from each payday a goodly sum of her earnings for her benefits during her declining years, so that she will not become a burden. For example, if you earn $30 a month, you should set aside $15.
- Any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in any form, gets her hair done at a beauty shop or frequents dance halls will give the director of nurse’s good reason to suspect her worth, intentions and integrity.
- The nurse who performs her labours [and] serves her patients and doctors faithfully and without fault for a period of five years will be given an increase by the hospital administration of five cents per day.
Sister Erika Janutsch : Nursing Manager at The Somerset.
To read more about Health Care at The Somerset, click here.
