hhere are many long-time employees at
‘Munson, but no one can top Mabel
“Tommie” Tompkins, RN; wh has been
erkng of and on atthe hospital since her
days aba student
53 years agol
‘The popular midnight shit Nursing
‘Supervisor joined Munson as an 18-year-old
nursing student when the hospital was sill a
try building she and her
mate led in what snow the
anos Buling fhe spa wile ty
gti atthe on te Hospital
co of Nur

the 1930's there were few occupations
open to women, and Tompkins chose
rursing as an

well. Itwe
tomake a living”
‘had an instructress on-site, but alot
‘of the training involved working on the
unis she reals They tre you ino

‘when you had night duty, you were the
top nurseon the shift responsible forall the
patients in the hospital.”

‘Upon graduating from nursing sc
Joined the Sate Hostal bit ata raluyat
$20,per month, From ths amount she paid
5 cents for

terrible,

narrowly missed being caught in the war's
‘major action, the Battle ofthe Bulge.

Returning from the war, she was asked t

get used to working

feel like you're in jet lag all
Ys was vastly
omotine sand
oer day, inctuding

 

8-10 bed wards for obstetcal ai

 

edi patients and a nurse might have
care for as many a Br ata time.
Fesptteatned ofr

#1 did al ofthe emergency room work, gave

espec il

Following is a jol

1887
ing for your 50 patients,
low these regulations:

3 the floor of

f
ea foriture

here i
Ee ee

|) theday.s}

She looks back
on six decades
of nursing

: ns aoa

: fsa ties nomen

1 flo ey are
inland nal

the gas for obstetrical patients and helped
with deliveries.

“Back he, every nurse ad tobe able to
workin ever unit ofthe pial. naome
ways twas good, bec ye you could pla
nurse from any un to hel

tore sone Taday nung to spectlined

rg not even his tmp
dosing osama
Soames the pate Sen
or what kindof are he would be rece
a eng Tht was afr the doctor o
say Today, patients ae edcated so that
they can pattem thelr own cae

using practices were diferent aswel
ttwas common for nurses to sop bythe
fospital Kitchen to make fx seed poutices

Nursing has never been an easy

he nurse's notes are important in aiding,

“he olan wa Male your pence

te ibs t
y duty wil port every
day a7 am soak leave a8 pm. xcept
onthe Sabbath, will
jetting vn
6. Graduate hres in good daning with
of muses willbe given an

jrse should lay aside from each
day a goodly sum of her earnings for

THE MUNSON MONITOR
10

 

 

which helped to relieve soreness whe
placed onthe patients chest ot ‘abdomen.
Hattowel wraps wera ted econo
chien wih eb

les betw

 

he
supplies: They

balls to dress wounds; and we
powdered and

and ove

pcs of sural oosrght ine operating
room — an unheard of idea in today’s
hospitals.

Patients recovering from broken bones
sometimes had to spend weeks or months in
tation before the advent of moder
ic surgery. Just as dire was the fate
ofan Cela pment inne Chien Clinic

me of whom were denied visits from theit
fren mone sate, “Thats the
philosophy of the ime — that chien did
better without their parents around to disrupt
their care.”

Hospital rules were strict in ot

well: “Flowers

 

ther ways as
‘could never remain in a

Patient's room at night, so the halls were fll
of the she says
ste ‘condition of

anda unit of 32,
by a registered
fal nurse, aide and

hla ied back then,
ee opcode une wan ds
Carlin, bee tat si, a ould
when smeone was going die and youd
stat ham because e there was nothing you
She nots that
ca th owas sme ighechitwton dhe

i
family — everyone knew ev
now thats not possible. 've been here more
than 40 years and dot know everyon

today.
il need each other and support
ach other as well And the patients welare
fas always been the primary son that
we're here. That's Micon hin been
‘maintained through the

 

akin the “good ol days" ‘the 3th ‘Century.
description for nurses working more than 100 years ago:

her benefits during her declining years so

that she will not become a burden.

Box ple Foes $903
(ou should set aside $15.

8. Any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in
‘any form, gets her hair done at a beauty

the directo sason {0
suspect her worth,
and integrity.

Shop or frequents dance halls will give
es gd
intent

he nurse who performs her labors and
serves her patents and doctors without
fault for five years will be given an
increase of fv cents a day, providing
there are no hospital debts outstanding.