| Description |
The onward march of medical science, as it charts a better way of life for mankind, would be seriously impeded without the service of the registered nurse. In the modern hospital, the nurse fills an indispensable role. Her skill in giving nursing care strengthens the arm of the physician; her traditional dedication to the relief of suffering provides the highly essential human touch that is so important in the care of the sick. The demands upon the nurse, both physically and emotionally, often are all but intolerable. Night shifts, weekend and holiday duty are inconveniences that she has accepted as a way of life. Her financial compensation, in many instances, has been demoralizingly low. Burden with these problems, which are incumbent with employment, additional irritations that may arise on the job become very upsetting to the nurse. This thesis is a report of an investigation into, and an attempt to solve some of these problems that gnawed at the morale of the nursing staff at a Utah hospital for several months. The personnel, accounting and other departmental files maintained by the hospital were the primary sources of the material researched in this study. Some outside references are sited, but because of the nature of the study, they are limited in number. |
