Hospital Housekeeping by Charlotte A. Aikens

[Sidenote: The Main Entrance]

"There is nothing in a hospital small enough to be careless about," is a remark frequently heard in hospital corridors. It is important for the housekeeper to bear in mind that, although oft quoted, this statement happens to be true. Perhaps no one thing will produce a more lasting impression on a casual visitor than the manner in which he is received at the front entrance. Two trained nurses who spent a couple of days in visiting hospitals in an eastern city related the following experience: At hospital number one the door was opened by a very untidy-looking, irrepressible colored boy, who seemed to feel it his duty to do the gallant thing according to his ideas of gallantry. After an entirely unnecessary speech, his concluding remarks were that he would just love to go through the hospital with them, but he "ain't got no time," and he guessed he'd have to ask Dr. -- to go with them. At hospital number two, no one specially seemed to be in charge of the door, and, after repeated rings, a resident physician, who, judging from his hair and general appearance, had been napping, came rushing through the hall-the door was open-getting into his coat by the time he reached the door. The climax was reached at hospital number three, which was a maternity hospital, an adjunct of a large city hospital. Here the door was opened by a colored woman in the last stages of pregnancy. At hospital number four a pert maid, none too tidy, was on duty at the front entrance. Her distinguishing feature seemed to be that she "didn't know. " At hospitals five and six, the persons in charge knew what was expected, and did the proper thing, but the varied experiences served to show the laxity that exists in that one particular.