PLAN No. 568. BECAME A NURSE FOR DIABETICS
A New York young woman wanted to become a nurse, so she consulted a physician who was a specialist and recognized authority on diabetes, and asked him what he would advise as a distinctive specialty for her to follow. His answer was: “Become a nurse for diabetics. They are clean and easy cases to handle, involving no disagreeable duties, and as most of them are able to attend to their regular business every day, the nurse has an abundance of time for her own improvement. But she must know her business thoroughly, be an expert in every detail, and possess a personality that instantly wins confidence. If you have that personality and are well informed as to the nature and treatment of diabetes, you will succeed.”
She was so greatly impressed with the soundness of this advice that she at once began to perfect herself in her chosen calling, and in order to do this effectually, she arranged to take care of several diabetic patients under treatment by this physician. This gave her a practical insight into the malady itself and the treatment it required, and after a course of study and experience with this specialist she made this work her specialty.
The first one came in the person of a wealthy business man who was just beginning to take treatment from the diabetes specialist, and had progressed so rapidly that he was in proper shape to be sent to his home, but was told that he would require the constant attendance of a thoroughly competent nurse for several months; that she must remain at his home during all that time, and that he must regulate his diet, activities and conduct strictly according to her instructions, to all of which he readily agreed, as he did not want to go to a hospital for so long a time.
The nurse had thoroughly familiarized herself with all the books and treatises relating to diabetes, especially the works of the specialist from whom she had received such valuable training. She therefore had a complete understanding of what was required of herself and her patient, both while taking the treatment and afterwards. She was bright, companionable, a good reader, and frequently entertained him by reading aloud. She prescribed every article in his diet, explaining to him the virtues and harmfulness of various articles of food, the values of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and the care with which sugar and starches must be used, if permitted at all. She made daily tests of his urine, voided at 7 o’clock every morning, after which she weighed him carefully and recorded the gain or loss from day to day.
She instructed her patient that it was better for him to eat too little than too much, and thus avoid the danger of becoming upset. She planned the daily diet in advance, so that he should receive the proper amount of each necessary element, and cautioned the patient to eat slowly. She recorded the character and quantity of food taken daily by the patient. She saw to it that all vegetables were properly cleaned and prepared before cooking, and served the given portions raw. For breakfast she gave him coffee, cream, bacon and one egg; for luncheon, clear soup, meat or fish, and vegetables; for dinner, tea, or cracked cocoa, and a small portion of a cooked vegetable, salad, meat or fish.
She insisted that his bowels move freely, but gave no cathartic for that purpose, as she knew of much better ways to produce this result. She saw that he took moderate exercise, played games and indulged in other forms of entertainment, but all reference to his disease was positively forbidden, so that his mind did not dwell upon his condition, while his surroundings were made as cheerful as possible.
When giving an occasional massage, she used cocoa butter or other preparation containing fat, but no alcohol, owing to its drying effect, and was instructed to report promptly to the doctor any symptoms signifying coma, but fortunately nothing of this kind occurred.
She remained a member of the patient’s household for six months, during the latter part of which he was able to go to his office and attend to business, but she limited his working hours to four each day, with positive instructions to come home at once upon the least signs of fatigue.
From that time on, she was never without a patient, and though her work was not hard, it required all her resources, so that she was warranted in charging well for her services.