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Counsels on Health
The Health of the Nurse to Be Considered
It is the duty of attendants and nurses to take special care of their
own health, especially in critical cases of fever and consumption. One
person should not be kept closely confined to the sickroom. It is safer
to have two or three to depend upon, who are careful and understanding
nurses, these changing and sharing the care and confinement of the
sickroom. Each should have exercise in the open air as often as
possible. This is important to sickbed attendants, especially if the
friends of the sick are among the class that continue to regard air,
if admitted into the sickroom, as an enemy, and will not allow the
windows raised or the doors opened. In such cases the sick and the
attendants are compelled to breathe the poisonous atmosphere from
day to day because of the inexcusable ignorance of the friends of the
sick.
In very many cases the attendants are ignorant of the needs of the
system, and of the relation that the breathing of fresh air sustains to
health, and of the life-destroying influence of inhaling the impure air
of a sickroom. In this case the life of the sick is endangered, and the
attendants themselves are liable to take on disease, and lose health,
and perhaps life....
The sickroom, if possible, should have a draft of air through it, day
and night. The draft should not come directly upon the invalid. While
burning fevers are raging, there is but little danger of taking cold. But
special care is needful when the crisis comes and the fever is passing
away. Then constant watching may be necessary to keep vitality in
the system. The sick must have pure, invigorating air. If no other way
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can be devised, the sick, if possible, should be removed to another
room and another bed, while the sickroom, the bed and bedding, are
being purified by ventilation. If those who are well need the blessings
of light and air and need to observe habits of cleanliness in order to
remain well, the need of the sick is still greater in proportion to their
debilitated condition.
Some houses are furnished expensively, more to gratify pride and
to receive visitors than for the comfort, convenience, and health of the
family. The best rooms are kept dark. The light and air are shut out lest
the light of heaven should injure the rich furniture, fade the carpets,
or tarnish the picture frames. When visitors are seated in these rooms