shable aprons, and shoes with rubber heels. All her
clothing should be comfortable. She should be neat in appearance,
scrupulously clean in person, and should keep her finger nails short and
smooth. Jewelry, especially rings and chains that rattle, and finery of
any sort are all out of place in a sick-room.

The attendant must learn that her own sleep, her diet, and her
out-of-door exercise are essential to the patient's well-being hardly
less than to her own. An amateur nurse often considers that going
without food and sleep is a proof of her devotion. In a passion of
self-sacrifice she neglects herself utterly for the first few days, and
as a consequence is quite useless at a later period when her services
may be most needed. An exhausted, sleepy nurse, trained or untrained, is
wholly unfit to be trusted with medicines and doctor's orders, to note
changes in the patient's condition, or to give him kindly attention.
Efficiency and fatigue have never pulled together since the world began,
and no one can do good work when suffering from lack of sleep and rest.

The person, then, who genuinely wishes to give her patient the best
possible care should not make a martyr of herself. She should go out of
doors daily; both fresh air and occasional absence from the patient are
essential to her physical and mental well-being. Moreover, she will be
showing her patient the greatest kindness in the long run if during her
recreation time she thinks of him as little as possible. Indeed, she
need not consider herself inhuman if she has a thoroughly good time.

On the other hand, a person who is responsible for the care of a patient
must be made to realize that she and she only is ultimately responsible
during the entire 24 hours of every day. Being responsible for a patient
does not mean that she should be with him every minute, or do everything
herself: it does mean that she should plan so effectively that
everything necessary is done, either by herself or by another competent
person. When she goes away for even half an hour, she should appoint
someone else to be responsible in her place and to her when she comes
back. She must consequently make very clear just what she wants done. If
there is medicine, nourishment, or treatment to be given, she can easily
make a list, with the time for each, and ask that each item be crossed
off the list as soon as the work has been done. She should not forget to
ask for the list when she returns.