Thus was my entrance into the family of employees of the old Benedict Memorial Hospital. There is little doubt that every nurse who was ever employed in a family oriented hospital had a one of a kind experience of her own. I say “family” because the superintendent, doctors, nurses, aides, housekeepers, office staff, kitchen help, x-ray technician and caretaker worked together for the good of the patients. Some were relatives, many were friends and the rest at least knew each other.

This relationship even carried to the patients. There was rarely a time that a relative, friend or acquaintance of a staff member wasn’t receiving care in this hospital. A situation similar to the following one was a frequent occurrence.

On arriving for duty one morning, a nurse was taken aback to see a friend sitting in the lobby with her husband.

“What are you doing here?” she cried.

Her friend arose, burst into tears and replied, ‘Tommy’s having his appendix out.”

Recalling the lively six-year-old boy the nurse wrapped her arms about her friend and assured her that Tommy would be alright.

“How long has he been in the operating room?” She asked.

“Since about 5:30,” came the tearful answer.

“He’ll be coming out soon, then,” said the nurse. “Is his bed upstairs?”

“Yes,” her friend replied.

“Good,” said the nurse, releasing her friend. “I have to go up now but the doctor will be down to see you as soon as Tommy’s in his bed. I’ll come for you, when you can see him.”

With that, the nurse headed for the stairs. Seeing the nurse leave, the receptionist joined the nurse’s friend to comfort her.

In these days, to become a patient in a hospital usually caused a person great stress.

“What’s happening to me? Who will care for my children? How will I pay?” were questions many patients dwelt on.

Everyone from superintendent to caretaker did their best to relieve a patient’s anxiety and all worked above and beyond their job descriptions. They did much more than what was required of them and their actions often carried into off duty hours.

The superintendent was right there to resolve a concern with a patient or a patient’s family member. She advised a patient not to worry about other things but to concentrate on getting well.

Before bringing a patient to the hospital, a doctor made sure a capable person assumed the responsibility of young children or any dependent left at home. It was common for a doctor to unexpectedly visit a patient in his home to check on him.

On the spur of the moment one afternoon, a doctor went to a pregnant patient’s home to see how she was doing. He found the woman to be having contractions every three to five minutes.

“Get your things together,” he said. “I’m taking you to the hospital. It’s time.”

As she prepared to leave, the doctor telephoned the woman’s husband at work. It had been planned that, when the time came, he’d arrange care for a three-year-old daughter.

“I’m taking your wife to the hospital,” the doctor said. “You have to come home, Now!”

As soon as the husband arrived, the doctor brought the woman in. The husband’s mother took over the toddler’s care and he showed up at the hospital just in time. His wife was in vigorous labor. She delivered a healthy baby boy before supper trays were served.

A nurse often stayed after her shift to care for a critical patient on her own time. When a patient was dieing, nurses allowed family members to be with him and provided a shoulder to cry on. If a dieing patient had no family members, a nurse or an aide stayed with him. Nurses wanted no patient to die alone.

Unless she had a good reason not to, when asked, the receptionist made a telephone call for a patient. There were never any bedside telephones. It wasn’t unusual for a staff member, often a housekeeper, to spend off duty hours shopping for toilet articles or other small items on a patient’s request. Aware that a patient wasn’t eating, the cook prepared nourishing drinks, such as eggnogs, for him.

Well known in town, the x-ray technician was often called at home and asked for a ride to the hospital. When possible, he obliged. Sometimes he gave visitors a ride home or ran errands for them. During a snow storm, the caretaker kept sidewalks clear throughout visiting hours. Upon seeing a need, he assisted a visitor up the walkway and into the building.

Shortly after that fateful day in 1951, I learned that in working together as family, the staff of the old Benedict Memorial Hospital went all-out to make each patient’s hospital stay and each visitor’s hospital experience pleasant and trauma free.