XII. Baby's Care.
1. Formula container. As a receptacle for infant's formula when not enough bottles for the entire formula are available, boil a fruit jar and keep the remaining formula in it until baby has taken the formula in the two or three bottles which have been filled.
2. Baby's bed. A dresser drawer, laundry basket, or grocery-goods box may be used for a baby's bed. If a perambulator is available, this can serve as a bed for some time.
3. Baby's bath. In this setup only the aspects which would seem to be deviations from regular hospital procedure will be mentioned.
a. The nurse does not gown, but uses a clean butcher apron. A mask is worn.
b. A table is completely covered with newspapers.
c. Place a chair, with both seat and back protected with newspapers, conveniently near. Place soiled linen on the seat, and on the back arrange the baby's clean clothes in order needed.
d. Test bath water with the elbow.
e. A regular-size pillow, covered with rubber sheeting or turkish towel and diaper, serves as area on which to bathe baby.
f. Newspaper bag for used pieces of cotton, etc.
g. Usually a plate, a tin pan, or a box cover may be used for a tray for the baby's supplies. This tray may be placed anywhere near the paper-napkin working area. Mayonnaise or cold-cream jars which have been boiled may be used for applicators, mineral oil, and cotton balls. Wind cotton ends of applicators loosely enough so that after dampening in water they may be loosened from the toothpick before being used to clean baby's nostrils and ears.
h. Paper-napkin working area: On this place six pieces of cotton for thermometer technique, the thermometer, the hand scales, and safety pins, if needed.
i. After baby has been washed and dried, an applicator dipped in mineral oil is stuck in the bar of soap, cotton end up. The oil on this cotton is sufficient to apply to the creases of the baby's body.
4. Weighing the baby. (See Illustration.)
After baby has shirt and abdominal binder secured, he is weighed. Tie a knot in one corner of the diaper. Place the baby on the diaper so that the head rests just below this knot, as seen in the illustration. Then tie corners A and B with a double knot and pin with one safety pin. Then the ends of corners A and B are pinned with a second safety pin. The hook of the hand scales is brought just under this secure fastening. The scales are held in the nurse's right hand, while the baby is steadied with the left hand, which is held a short distance under the baby for added protection.
6. Baby's sunbath. Place baby, properly protected, in front of an open window through which the sun is streaming, or on a fire escape during the sunny hours.
XIII. Contagious-Disease Technique.
Since the differences in the home procedure from those in the hospital are so many, these are noted in greater detail than the other simplifications. If possible, the room for a patient suffering from contagious disease should be as far as possible from traffic, so that no one need enter the room except the nurse and the person instructed in the care of the patient.
1. Organization of work:
a. Supply these articles: Gown, paper napkin for protection of watch, extra cotton for thermometer.
b. Make large newspaper bag.
c. Put on gown.
4. Collect home supplies.
(I) Have a vessel for boiling patient's soiled linen on stove ready for boiling, or prepare a tub of 2 per cent Lysol solution.
(2) Supplies for hand-washing unit, if use of bathroom is not advisable: Basin. Soap in covered dish. Towel. Pitcher. Pail for waste. (Fresh water is used for each hand washing.)
(3) Covered pan for patient's dishes. This may be taken to room or left on kitchen stove.
(4) A tray with toilet articles.
(5) A large house apron for use of the one who is to care for patient after nurse leaves.
(6) Supply of newspapers and newspaper squares.
2. Care of patient:
a. Arrange clean area in patient's room for equipment and cover the area with clean newspapers.
b. Place watch on a clean paper napkin near bedside for taking pulse.
c. Use pieces of toilet tissue for nose and throat discharge, and discard in newspaper sacks.
d. After giving care to patient, wrap all soiled waste in newspaper and place on clean newspaper on chair outside the door of the patient's room.
e. Stack dishes which are to be taken to the receptacle on kitchen stove, or place in container if it has been brought into room.
f. Roll soiled linen in neat bundle.
g. Empty contents of fluid waste pail and bedpan in toilet unless, because of the disease, the excreta must first be disinfected.
h. After washing hands, remove gown, folding contaminated side in, and place in paper bag.
3. Procedure after removing gown.
a. Teach the one who cares for the patient when nurse is away how to hang the gown near the door, contaminated side out, opening away from the patient.
b. Take linen to kitchen and place directly in container to boil for fifteen minutes, or place in tub of Lysol solution for forty-five minutes. If space permits, container for linen may be placed on chair outside "patient's room. Sputum basin may be boiled with the linen.
c. Take dishes to kitchen, and place ---directly in container to boil for fifteen niinutes. If dishes have been packed in container in roofn, carry. this -to kitchen, using paper squares 'to handle..
d. Take - package of dry waste to ' incineratpr.
e. Wash hands. .
4. Terminal disinfection: After patient's recovery,. wash everything that can be washed. Cleanse room and furniture 'with 'soap and water or disinfectant. Give i-oom good airing, and expose all articles possible—especially bedding—to sun. Toys and books should be washed or sunned and aired. Give patient bath and shampoo. Burn everything which can be disposed of in this way.
Bibliography
Committee on the Grading of Nursing Schools, "Nursing Schools—Today and Tomorrow," New York City, National League of Nursing Education, 1934.
Dewey, John, "Experience and Education," New 4/York City, The Macmillan Co., 1938.
Frost, Harriet, "Nursing in Sickness and in Health," New York City, The Macmillan Co., 1939.
Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service : Lectures, lesson plans, and conferences with supervisor and senior advisor.
Jensen, Deborah, "Nursing Care Studies," New York City, The Macmillan Co., 1940.
Olson, Lyla M., "Improvised Equipment in the Home Care of the Sick," Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders Co., 1935.
Tittman, Anna L., "Employment in Nursing Today," American Journal of Nursing, 39I :46.
Tracy, Margaret, "Nursing an Art and a Science," St. Louis, C. V. Mosby Co., 1938.
Tucker, Kitherine, "Preparation of the Public
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Vannier, Marion L. and Thompson, Barbara A., "A Textbook of Nursing Technique," Minneapolis, The University of Minnesota Press, 1937.
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, third edition.
