p. 21 | Nurses’ Exchanges

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 26, 1907

Nurses’ Exchanges

The following, quoted from a letter from Mrs. Leone Mouning, 327 Oak Ave., Waterloo, Iowa, contains many valuable points concerning nurses’ exchanges: “My husband and I were speaking of the number of our nurses with good sanitarium missionary training who go out into the world to work for other physicians, and having no opportunity to use the methods they have been taught came from above, finally forget them and grow cold spiritually. It is not their fault, entirely, either. A plan came to my mind which was something like this: Let the State or union conference employ one or more physicians who are good lecturers, and give them competent help. Send them into towns of a promising size to hold a school of health, and do not be afraid of the expense of thorough advertising. When the work warrants, start small, well-equipped bath-rooms; and when the work is well started, leave two good nurses (preferably man and wife) in charge, and go to the next city to conduct a school of health. The physician should return to the bath-rooms already established at stated intervals to advise and to see new patients. At first this work would undoubtedly be an expense to the conference, but it seems to me that, when well established, it should pay the doctor and nurses good living wages, and be a source of income to the conference. Then a good Bible worker might be stationed at each place, and by being introduced by the nurse who already has openings into the best homes in the city, work could be done for a class of people that our missionaries seldom reach. In such a way the medical work might be truly the right arm of the third angel’s message. Another point: Our sanitariums do not advertise extensively. We are told to learn some things in business matters from the successful worldly concerns. Few of our institutions are well known in their own cities, much less outside. I believe these principles, if kept constantly before the public, will bring larger returns. I am deeply interested in the success of our medical work, and hence these lengthy opinions.”