I think, however, that the foreign system of night watching above detailed might give very useful hints for women in war service, and for emergencies of cholera, &c., &c., in home service; and with regard to supervision in the latter.
I think, with submission to the proper authorities (the two or three experienced Army Surgeons I have so often adverted to) feeling strongly that awkward mistakes might occur in several of these matters without them, as civilians and women cannot and ought not to trust their own judgments respecting such, that in a large Military Hospital, an Assistant Ward-Master ought to go round the wards at night. Not with any idea of his rendering assistance to the Watchers over bad cases. The Nurses must do their duty of Head-Nurses, and see to this themselves. Perambulation through a large Hospital at night in point of fact excludes the possibility of doing anything in any one ward, unless in some exceptional occurrence which only proves the rule. The object is the important one of seeing that the Orderlies are awake, sober, alert, and at their duty, and that the patients are quiet and in bed. The Nurse would hear any noise, but there is such a thing as quiet drinking, as well as noisy drinking.
In St. George’s there is a Night-Matron, chief over the Night-Nurses, who goes through the Hospital every hour during the night-watch.
I have heard this spoken of by experienced Authorities of other Hospitals with approbation and envy, and some idea was entertained of introducing it into another great Hospital. In Civil Hospitals, I think, but I do not know, that the benefits of this Night-Matron may be perhaps more imaginary than real. The Head-Nurses at St. George’s sleep away from their wards; a great mistake, I humbly consider.
But Military Hospitals are entirely different in sundry essential respects. I think a non-commissioned officer, Assistant Ward-Master for instance, ought to make his rounds every night. When once such a service takes place, every hour is better than three or four times a night. He must be “up to” sundry things—taking the wards in uncertain rotation, sometimes returning suddenly on his steps, &c., &c., &c.
It will be worth securing, if possible (this parenthesis will be understood), that the Nurse’s water-closet should be within her room, if not, as close to it as may be.
Present State of Night-Nursing in Military Hospitals.
29. The following extraordinary system of Night Nursing is that which prevails in the Army at present:
The “nursing is managed” either by means of patients “told off in watches” through the night for the purpose of attending to other patients, or by means of soldiers sent in from the ranks to attend specially upon each bad case; or by Orderlies “arranging it among themselves,” without any exemption meanwhile from day duty.