THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1977
MEDICAL CARE STANDARDS DEPEND ON
SUPPLY OF WELL TRAINED AND DEDICATED NURSES
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+HOWEVER EXPERIENCED AND WISE OUR DOCTORS, HOWEVER SKILFUL OUR SURGEONS, HOWEVER EFFECTIVE OUR PARAMEDICAL FACILITIES, MEDICAL CARE CAN NEVER ATTAIN AN ADEQUATE STANDARD WITHOUT A SUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF WELL TRAINED AND DEDICATED NURSES.+
THIS WAS SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, AT THE GRADUATION OF NURSES FROM THE NETHERSOLE SCHOOL OF NURSING HELD AT YING WAH GIRLS' SCHOOL.
SIR DENYS SAID THAT, MORE THAN MOST PROFESSIONS, NURSING REQUIRED TWO MAIN ELEMENTS TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PERSONAL QUALITIES.
HE CONTINUED: +THE REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNIQUES IN THE PAST GENERATION HAS DEMANDED OF NURSES A MUCH WIDER AND DEEPER KNOWLEDGE THAN WAS NECESSARY IN THE PAST. THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE HIGHER STANDARDS OF EDUCATION WHICH ARE REQUIRED OF NURSES.
+THE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE WHICH THEY MUST ABSORB MAKES IT NECESSARY FOR NURSES TO POSSESS CONSIDERABLE INTELLIGENCE. NEVERTHELESS, I HOPE THAT THOSE WHO SELECT THEM WILL NOT FORGET THAT THEY REQUIRE PERSONAL QUALITIES OF A SPECIAL KIND.+
A NURSE SPENT MUCH OF HER PROFESSIONAL LIFE MINISTERING TO THE SICK, THE MAIMED, THE DYING AND THOSE WITHOUT HOPE OR PURPOSE IN THE IR LIVES. MOST SUFFERED PAIN OR DISCOMFORT- MANY WERE LONELY AND ABANDONED WITHOUT FAMILY OR FRIENDS. FOR SOME, AS THEY LAY IN HOSPITAL THE NURSE WAS THEIR ONLY CONTACT WITH HUMANITY, THE CENTRE OF THE HOPES, FEARS AND ILLUSIONS.
TO DEAL WITH SUCH PEOPLE, A NURSE MUST BE FAR MORE THAN AN EFFICIENT DISPENSER OF MEDICINE AND BANDAGES, SIR DENYS SAID.
+SHE MUST TRY, HOWEVER HARD THIS MAY BE, TO REMAIN PATIENT, GOOD HUMOURED AND INTERESTED IN THEM ALL, WITH A WARMTH WHICH LETS THE PATIENT THINK THAT SHE CARES ABOUT HIM, AS A PERSON AND NOT MERELY AS A MEDICAL PROBLEM, SIR DENYS ADVISED.
+ IT IS A HARD LIFE WHICH YOU WHO ARE GRADUATING TODAY AND YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE NURSING PROFESSION, HAVE CHOSEN.
+THERE WILL BE MANY DAYS ON WHICH YOU WILL WONDER WHY YOU MADE THE CHOICE. YOUR FEET WILL ACHE, YOU WILL BE TIRED TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION, YOUR PATIENCE TRIED TO ITS LIMIT BY FRUSTRATION, PRESSURE AND UNCOMFORTABLE WORKING CONDITIONS YOUR EMOTIONS WILL HAVE BEEN STRETCHED BY SUFFERING AND DEATH AND BY THE DEMANDS MADE UPON YOU BY DOCTORS AND PATIENTS.
/+BUT I HOPE .....