NICKIRN

I graduated in 1962, went to work at Kaiser Hospital working 6 days on and 2 days off, making $269 per month.We had to give every pt. a complete bed bath, if they were up walking around, we had to have them get back into bed for their bed bath. Drs did cut-downs, where they would cut across the upper arm,then get hold of a vein, stick the i.v. tubing into the vein then sew it into place. They also did "Clysis" to get fluids into a patient. a clysis needle is about 6 inches long, with a big bore about a #8 needle. these went into the thigh, one in each thigh.AAAAAAGGHH !!! We had to give every patient a back rub using first, rubbing alc. to toughen the skin, then body lotion to soften the skin, Go figure. Then we passed refreshments to the patients each one got either apple juice, grape juice, 7-up or milk, they also got either a sandwich, or two slices of buttered toast. so they wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night hungry. and at one time we were giving them a small glass of wine at bedtime (with doctors orders,) When a patient came in the night before surgery, we had to give them an 'Enema's till clear" which meant sometime 5 or 6 enemas in a row.If they had hemmorhoids, then we also had to give them a sitz bath.Before I went into nursing I had my first child in 1948, in those days they kept you in bed for the first 5 days, then when you got up on your feet, you promptly passed out.The mothers were not allowed to unwrap their babies blanket. they would bring in the baby to breast-feed (every mother breast fed ) then as soon as you were through they took the baby back to the nursery. I went home on the 7th day. and my hospital bill was $79. When my 2nd child was born in 1951 I stayed 5 days then my 3rd child in 1956 I stayed 3 days when I had my 4th child I was in the hospital 22 hrs. Wow! that brings back lots of memories. I am now retired and really do miss nursing. Nicki ------------------