LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
NURSING AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL.
(To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."'
.SIE,—Your article on this subject, entitled "Agnosticism in Caricature," will surprise a good many people. After reading it I looked to see if I had not got hold of the Saturday Review instead of the Spectator. Our friend in whom we trusted is surely "lifting up his heel against us," and that in a very unpleasant way. Does the writer of the article really think that the people who wish for freedom of conscience among nurses at voluntary hospitals are Agnostics P Or is he not using a method of argumentation which would be appropriately described as 'throwing dust into his readers' eyes "P The Spectator is, as a rule, not Jesuitical. It will be a pity if it should permit itself to become so in the interests of any class or institution.
The nursing question at University College Hospital is per- fectly simple. To put the matter briefly :—The duty of a nurse
is to nurse, not to give spiritual instruction. There is no reason why the nurse should not give spiritual advice if asked to do so ; but this is no part of her function, any more than it is a part of the physician's function. If the Hospital chooses to employ a sisterhood, let it do so by all means. But that sisterhood cannot be brought into the Hospital as an irresponsible body. It must act under the control of the Hospital authorities. There is no reason why the Hospital authorities should not say to the head of the sisterhood,—" We will place you in charge of the musing under certain conditions. You must not attempt to make proselytes among the patients, and if persons of good character and educational fitness apply for appointments as nurses or probationers, you must not refuse them on the ground of religious belief, neither must you interfere with their religious convictions by imposing on them any special religions customs of your own. You have to deal with them as nurses, not as persons who require to be converted. If you will take charge of the nursing under these conditions, well and good; if not, we must have it done in some other way." Surely there is no difficulty here. Any head of a sisterhood who has an intelligent belief in Christ's most reasonable religion will not hesitate to accept nursing em- ployment under these most Christian stipulations. It is really melancholy to see Christians, at an age when Agnosticism and downright Atheism are growing stronger day by day, behaving in this childish fashion. One wishes to be charitable and to avoid harsh words ; but surely people who believe in one and the same religion, and that religion "the perfection of reason," ought to be able, and to compel themselves to be able, to live and work together, in spite of different ecclesiastical views. I am tempted to quote a few words of the highest authority Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbad him, because he followed not with us." "Forbid him not," said the Master, "he that is not against us is on our part." —I am, Sir, &c., [Of course, in our article we used the term " Agnosticism " in its literal sense of" Know-nothingism." The context showed conclusively that we did not intend to impute to the authorities of the College opinionative Agnosticism, but only political know- nothingism of creeds in relation to the administration of the hospital.—En. Spectator.]
Previous page
