I came across these mid 1960's images of bedside nurses and thought they really illustrated old time diploma school nurses in their glory days. These were the times before nurse theoreticians, nurse informatics, computer nurses, pharmaceutical sales nurses, and other permutations of their ilk. Bedside nursing was a calling and the bedside was the alter where it was practiced. We used to feel deep sorrow for any nurse that couldn't cut it at the bedside. They were holed up in places like central supply or doctor's offices and we viewed them as a sorry lot. The entire nurse academic establishment was yet to come but I am certain they would have been viewed in a pejorative light. Nurses, after all, were trained - not educated.
What IS that one in the second to last pic doing?!?!
ReplyDeleteShe is feeding a hopefully edentulous stroke patient. That is an old time glass Asepto syringe she is using to feed a pureed diet. The risks to this procedure were aspiration and if the patient had teeth, glass breakage. I've been meaning to do a post on those old time bent glass drinking straws and the joys of cleaning them without breaking them.
ReplyDeleteOne of my fondest childhood recollections was visiting my grandmother and the privilege of drinking from one of those glass straws she kept in her china cabinet.
ReplyDeleteWe even had little tiny brushes to clean the lumen of glass straws. They were absolutely contra indicated for seizure patients!
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