Nurses Had To Follow These Rules In 1887

Heroes come in all forms, from firefighters to soldiers to nurses. While other heroes keep us safe from foreign invaders and fires, nurses are there to help us when we are injured or sick.

Without nurses, we would be in a great deal of trouble. Their care extends beyond the physical, too. The emotional component cannot be overstated.

The assistance that they provide during our most challenging moments is always going to leave a lasting impression as well. As medical technology continues to evolve, the roles of nurses have evolved with it. When you find out more about how nursing has evolved, you will be stunned to learn of some of the rules that they used to have to follow.

According to Scrubs Magazine, the following list of rules existed all the way back in 1887 and you won’t be able to believe many of them:

1. Nurses would have 50 patients per day to care for during this time. They were still required to make time to sweep and mop the floors. They were also responsible for dusting the patient’s windowsills and their furniture.

2. Each nurse was asked to bring a scuttle of coal with them to work each day, as a means of maintaining a proper temperature in their ward.

3. Because of the importance of light in the wards, nurses were asked to take the time to fill kerosene lamps, clean chimneys, and trim wicks. The windows also had to be washed by the nurses on a weekly basis.

4. Nurses had to provide notes for the physician, which seems normal enough. The part where they had to make their own pens? Not so much.

5. Each nurse had to report to work by 7 AM each day. However, the Sabbath was considered to be a special day in this regard. Instead of working from 7 AM to 8 PM, they were given a two hour break from 12 PM to 2 PM.

6. If a graduate student was in good standing with the nursing director, they could have a night off each week for the purposes of courting. Regular churchgoers could have two nights off.

7. Nurses were encouraged to set aside at least half of their monthly earnings, as to not become a burden once they reached old age.

8. Nurses who smoked, drank, got their hair done or frequented “dance halls” were thought to have a low level of integrity.