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In some countries, these nurses are educated for the purpose, and are even capable of exercising all the duties belonging to a midwife. In this country it is not so. Women actually prefer a male accoucheur to a female. They feel safer in his hands: they rely not only upon his superior knowledge, but upon his courage. They feel he would not flinch before duty, and would assume the greatest responsibility to save life. It is not generally so with female accoucheurs, allowing very honorable exceptions. I know of many cases where the female accoucheur, getting frightened, deserted her patient at the moment she was most needed; thus sacrificing a life that might otherwise have been saved.
But I am speaking of a monthly nurse. She should be intelligent, and have experience; yet she should not be presumptive, and should never be allowed to exercise duties not within her province, as long as there is a physician attending who is responsible for the case.
The monthly nurse should be a judicious, unobtrusive, well-tempered woman. She should know the care the patient needs; she should administer to her comfort, but not attempt to entertain her with stories or gossips of any kind; she should carry out the wishes of the physician conscientiously, but never remonstrate on her account, with the patient; she should acquaint the physician with every irregularity without exaggeration, and never undertake, under the assumption that it will do no harm, to administer favorite lotions or potions to the patient or to the child.
In the house, she should not be a source of trouble. I have known nurses to demand so much attention from the house-servants as to be unbearable. Some nurses assume rights and authority over the patient and the husband.
