Progressive Increase of Wages.
13. Many women are valuable as nurses, who are yet unfit for promotion to head-nurses. It appears to me that it would be very desirable to have an intermediate recompense: say, after ten years’ good service, to raise nurses’ wages; after a second ten years, to raise them further.
Fixed Age for Admission and Retirement.
14. There should be an age for the reception and for the retirement both of nurses and head-nurses. I think no head-nurse should be under thirty.
Simplicity of Rules, Definition of Authorities.
15. Simplicity of rules, placing the nurses, in some respects, absolutely under the Medical man, and, in others, absolutely under the Female Superintendent, is very important; also, at the outset, to have a clear and recorded definition of these respective limits.
Economy.
16. Economy is very important, with regard to the eventual extension of the work.
Commencement: Training.
17. In the event of the nurses not being trained in Her Majesty’s service, advantage, it seems to me, would attend their beginning in a great established hospital; unless indeed it should be judged best to select and train a staff of nurses first in a smaller and quieter one. Yet much that would be unpleasant in the larger place would probably be beneficial. The restraint, control, contact with the masters, work, and order of things of a great and settled place, would materially help with reference to the nurses.