OCR Text |
Show - 2 - literature, a foreign language (usually English), Civics and Citizenship. Most schools give a four years course as it is practicalj/l impossible to crowd into the minimum three years, required by the government, the cultural, as well as the technical training. It is only the schools in the larger cities like Peiping and Shanghai that are able to get students who are senior high school graduates, for as yet in the interior, a senior middle school education is available to only a very few. There were principals from some of the schools who thought that the requirements were too high, but there were none of the delegates from our American Board hospitals but who felt that it was only the minimum that the government is requiring. All of our schools are already giving their students more than that and feel that we cannot give our students less and turn out good nurses. "State medicine" was dwelt upon as the only possible way that anything like an adequate approach can be made toward meeting the medical needs of the great masses of the Chinese people. We visited Chiang Hsien, a country just out of Nanking, where the government is carrying on an experient along these lines, somewhat after the pattern of the medical work done in Ting Hsien, under the Mass Education Movement headed up by Dr. James Yen. Dr. Hsu is in charge of the work at Chiang Hsien and there are twenty-four nurses on the staff, eleven of whom are also trained in midwifery. Another thing continually heard throughout the conference, and increasingly so as the tension caused by the "Shanghai incident" was felt, was in regard to the responsibility of the nurses and the schools of nursing "in case of emergency". The predominant emphasis of the conference was on the raising of the educational standards for nurses. On the whole it was forward looking and it left me feeling hopeful for the future of nursing in this country. I came back from the conference to be here until the first of November and then to go to Shantung to divide my time between the Tehchow and the Lintsing hospitals for the winter and spring. It had been decided at the annual meeting of our church council last May that I should help out in the three hospitals. When the subject was first discussed I had in mind the possibility of dividing my time between two hospitals but not three. However we shall do the best we can this year and may know more about how best to plan for the time when I shall return from my furlough, should that privilege be granted to me. I am to have my furlough next year. It is granted to begin the first of July but it may be postponed until Autumn. I am fortunate in having another member of my family visit me this year. My oldest sister, Mrs. Johnson, came out in the summer to spend the year. She has been enjoying China but when I returned from Nanking I found that Dr. Robinson had ordered her to bed because of heart trouble. After four weeks she is greatly improved but it will be some time before she will be able to get about again as usual. Another delightful event during the year was a visit from Miss Minnie Goodnow, who was in Peiping for three months giving a special course of lectures on the History of Nursing to the students in the P.U.M.C. Nursing School. It added much to a delightful graduation day at Tehchow to have Miss Goodnow with us, especially as she is a very good friend of Miss Sawyer who was formerly in charge of the nursing school. Things have been happening in Tunghsien since it was made the "capitol of the East Hopei Autonomous Government" almost a year ago. Many material improvements have been made such as the putting in of city water works, the building of better roads, and the opening of a public health center. But on the other hand there has also been the opening of heroin shops. Because they were planning to hold military maneuvers the Japanese army had given the farmers ten days warning in which to get their crops gathered in. Then last Sunday morning we were awakened to the sound of the put-put of machine guns and the boom of canon. It lasted for only a short time, however, when they moved on to other neighborhoods. This letter comes bringing my Christmas Greetings to you. In a world full of turmoil and strife may we learn peace and goodwill among men. Sincerely yours, Valley Nelson Address Tehchow, Shantung, China. |