Job Description of a Floor Nurse... 1887

In addition to caring for your 50 patients, each nurse will follow these regulations:

1. Daily sweep and mop the floors of your ward, dust the patients' furniture and window sills.

2. Maintain an even teperature in your ward by bringing in a scuttle of coal for the day's business.

3. Light is important to ob serve the patient's condition. Therefore, each day fill kerosene lamps, clean chimneys, and trim wicks. Wash windows once a week.

4. The nurse's notes are important to aiding the physician's work. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle mibs to your individual taste.

5. Each nurse on day duty will report every day at 7am and leave at 8pm, except on the Sabbath, on which you will be off from 12-noon.

6. 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.

7. Each nurse should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of her earning 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 $25.

8. Any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in any form, gets her hair done in a beauty shop, or frequents dance halls will give the Director of Nurses good reason to suspect her worth, intentions, and integrity.

9. The nurse who performs her labor, 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 a day providing there are no hospital debts that are outstanding.

DEVELOPED IN 1887 AND PUBLISHED IN A MAGAZINE OF CLEVELAND LUTHERAN HOSPITAL.