Page:A short history of nursing - Lavinia L Dock (1920).djvu/376

360 3^0 A Short History of Nursing perhaps a little of our official red tape also come from this source. The rather formal system of hospital etiquette, the distinctions of rank involv- ing precedence of seniors, the attitude of "atten- tion" when addressed by a superior officer, and many other familiar customs are plainly military in origin. Under the military influence, the uni- form takes on a certain smartness and correctness, and we begin to note the addition of stripes on the cap as a symbol of rank, with medals, brassards, and other military insignia. Though it undoubtedly served an excellent pur- pose in the reorganization of nursing, it is some- times felt that the military idea has been carried rather too far and that it has tended in certain ways to suppress qualities which are much needed in nursing work. While it is of course necessary to maintain proper dignity and authority in the care of the sick, one feels that the stiffness and un- naturalness of the military manner are scarcely suited to the tender art of nursing, and that the rather arbitrary and autocratic spirit of the mili- tary martinet does not help in establishing a happy or a harmonious atmosphere in the hospital or sickroom. Our system of nursing training has perhaps suf- ' f ered most from the military influence, the mistaken