The nine 'golden' that nurses had to obey in 1887
Nurses have come a long way in the past 130 years.
A list detailing their job description in 1887 has resurfaced and shows nurses were expected to care for 50 patients, work 13 hour days and keep the wards clean with some serious elbow grease.
In addition to their duties in the hospital, nurses were also expected to set aside a potion of their pay so they would not become a burden later in life and steer clear of alcohol, cigarettes and hair salons.
Working hard: Nurses in 1887 were required to follow nine 'rules' that dictated their job description
Davidwolfe.com listed the nine golden rules of nursing in 1887, that started with a daily clean of the ward.
Instead of taking temperatures or administering medication, nurses were expected to mop and and sweep the floor and dust the furniture and windowsills of their patient's rooms.
To ensure their patients remained comfortable, they would bring in a scuttle, or a bucket, of coal which would be used to keep the rooms at an even temperature.
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Daily grind: Nurses did daily cleaning jobs including mopping and sweeping the floor and dusting furniture and windowsills
Nurses needed to be able to see their patients, so managing the room's light was one of their daily tasks.
Nurses were expected to fill kerosene lamps daily, as well as clean out the chimney and snip candle wicks.
While a lot of their work revolved around cleaning, nurses still kept medical notes to pass on to the physician.
Daily tasks: Rather than take temperatures or administer medications, nurses were required to monitor the lighting and heat in their ward
Unlike today's nurses they were expected to make their own pens, and could wittle the nibs down to their desired width and length.
With round-the-clock care needed for patients today's nurses are used to working night shifts, and long hours came with the territory 128 years ago.
A nurse would begin her shift at 7am and leave at 8pm except for on Sabbath when she would take time off between midday and 2pm.
Long shifts: A nurse would work a 13-hour day from 7am until 8pm
In what would be unheard of by today's standards, graduate nurses who maintained a good repal with their nursing director were given one evening off a week.
The free time was given for 'courting purposes', and your chances of earning two nights off a week increased if you were a regular attendee at church.
A nurse's job description did not stop at the workplace, with the rules dictating how they spent their money and time away from work.
Money matters: 'Nurses are required to set aside a “goodly sum” of their monthly earnings in order to save up for her declining years so she won’t be a burden'
A good nurse was expected to set aside money from each payday to put aside for future use, much like a retirement fun, to ensure they did become a 'burden' in later years.
'Nurses are required to set aside a “goodly sum” of their monthly earnings in order to save up for her declining years so she won’t be a burden',' they read.
Any nurse who drank, smoke, got her hair done or regularly went dancing would come under scrutiny.
Such activities would rouse suspicion from nursing directors who would question her intention, worth and integrity.
Moral values: Drinking, smoking or going regularly to dances would rouse suspicion form the nurses director who would question their integrity and worth
The last rule is one that would make all workers today see red.
A nurse was only eligible for a pay rise after five years, and only if she had served 'her patients and doctors faithfully and without fault'.
Her rewards? An extra five cents a day.
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