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University Daily Kansan Thursday, May 21. 1959
Staff - Student Relations Cause Hospital Trouble
by Nancy Whalen
(Editor's note. This is the final article in a series on Watkins Hospital and the Student Health Service.)
The ASC Student Health Committee chairman said 90 per cent of the trouble at Watkins Hospitals is related to misunderstandings between the staff and the students.
The other 10 per cent is caused by the crowded conditions in the hospital, said John V. Black, Pratt senior.
Lack of Confidence
"The students don't have the faith in the hospital that they should have. Patient-staff relations at the hospital seem to be strained. There are many misunderstandings between students and hospital staff members." Black said.
One misunderstanding which Black recalls is that a student with an injured foot came into the hospital one night after clinic hours.
"The student asked a woman who was wearing a white uniform what to do about the foot. Although she was the nurse at the desk, she was not wearing a white cap with her uniform. The student thought she was not a nurse. He did not take the woman's advice but went to the city hospital for treatment." Black said.
Dress Is Similar
"The clerical help and the nurses both wear white uniforms. The only difference in appearance between the two is the white cap which the nurses wear." Black said.
He said that the hospital is considering changing the color of the uniforms of the clerical help.
"Other incidents which result in misunderstandings between the staff and the patients come when the student patients are not informed soon enough of what is wrong with them.
"Students also are given medications but the hospital often doesn't tell the students what they are for.
It might help if this could be changed." Black said.
"Sometimes it seems to the students that the hospital is overcautious when the hospital keeps students a day longer than students think necessary. Actually, it is for the students' good that the hospital does this.
Doctors Are Cautious
"The doctors also are being very cautious about the students' health when they try to find a medication for a student to which he will not react violently.
"The fact that only one doctor is on call after hours is not the ideal situation either. This is unavoidable, however, because the staff is paid under Civil Service and they cannot keep longer hours." Black said.
"The hospital has very good equipment and competent people working. One of the main problems now which the hospital has is the overcrowded conditions. The hospital was built to serve 4,000 students. Since then the enrollment figure has more than doubled. The original facilities are being used to serve the increase." Black said.
Better Service Here
He said the chances are that the student can get better service here than at home. He also commented that the hospital has been fully accredited since 1942 by the American College of Surgeons.
"No other college hospital in the state has psychiatric care that can compare with what the hospital here has," Black said.
"The physical therapy equipment is also exceptional here. The city people often take advantage of it." Black said.
Black said the University probably should have built an addition to the hospital five years ago. If the conditions were not so crowded they would get faster service.
More Room Needed The hospital needs more room especially during epidemics. An addition to the hospital may be made possible by acquiring state runes or more money from the Watkins Foundation, he said.
"It looks as if the building program for the hospital may be as much as 10 years away because it is at the bottom of the 10 year building improvement plan for the University." Black said.
A two-week elementary education workshop to provide practical study for elementary teachers, supervisors and administrators will be held here June 2-13.
Featured speakers will be Herbert Spitzer, professor of education and director of the State University of Iowa Elementary School; Edward Mattil, associate professor of art education at Pennsylvania State University; Oscar Haugh, professor of education, and Margaret Byrne, director of the speech and hearing clinic.
Education Study To Begin June 2
CHICACO —(UPI)— Jail keeper Peter Smickless said the old detective bureau lock-up will soon be shaking, and he'll enjoy it.
Rock 'n Roll, Injun Style
Emil Comeslant, also known as Johnny Graveagle, is back. And when that Sioux gets in with the other Indians, "it's just like the movies," Smickless said. "They chant and shuffle and beat out the rythm on the wall and benches.
304 West 6th, VI 1-6333
The Sante Fe Foundation announced today it had awarded a four-year college scholarship to Steven LaBuff, a student at Haskell Institute.
Haskell Student Wins Award
LaBuff was one of four Indian youths to win a scholarship. The scholarship program was set up to aid Indian youth.
LaBuff will enter KU to major in journalism. He is president of the Key Club and has been active in the publication of the Haskell Institute newspaper.
The first installation of a steam turbine by a public utility was at Hartford, Conn., in April, 1901.
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