xt7fn29p3x6p https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7fn29p3x6p/data/mets.xml The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. 1995 bulletins  English The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletins Frontier Nursing Service, Vol. 70, No. 4, June/Spring 1995 text Frontier Nursing Service, Vol. 70, No. 4, June/Spring 1995 1995 2014 true xt7fn29p3x6p section xt7fn29p3x6p {
I !~xUR$;N
w~  
Q `. »
  FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE °  
  ——;-—————+——     va
y Volume 70 Number 4 June/Sprmg 1995   _ W {E
5 Ogkx cg
I Owen Mw
I
’ V
\ .. I ’[
  V K r#gg*:$%i  ·’
. .‘,  { _ i ’ _>
1  _- ,   _ ’   _ _:4vr   I wk { f
  *·`' A I~*   A `A   ‘} { ` I Z   Q {
    5* =   ' .;     i   -  ;4·
* I /   ,.I,      _   · `  V.
\
I ’     Q}   ·
l I   3; - { { 4 v / ~ 
{ .   _1 ,   ‘·r. — S
{:2 , ~ . \. ,  _· ·
+ - ·¤ I Q;     ~  H I
J .;: .      fg   _  .‘»‘   _ `, ·
M { __   gh é_» TA, é _ · -
  ‘‘’` I     X ` N- Q ` if
_ .‘ "   ‘ ' , `1 / ` · `
`   .   wk 5.; · . T
`, ¢   9#,I   »  
~ L   ¤ , · `
1 . g     *’ _` _ it , _< _
·     `i ·”?’,;¤§), »' * { , ` `  
· , =' ,  - .   I _ ‘ Y 6,5Lj -
r V;        X i     -
‘   T ~    '‘I <   » i·  
    , I   ·‘ I   `     _..-    
    M Q: ‘   f   °°·‘ _   —     if- `   —
‘ _ `‘-         ,_jV;£:iY;1?i},;,g§»; `°·V€   =’‘  _,   _____ A   »· I
I‘*”*Q\ <     `   3*     f  ‘¤;*?¥   zu .
1

 1
US ISSN 0016-2116 p
Table of Contents
Field Notes - Susie Hudgins 1  
Courier News - Barb Gibson 4 il
. . 1
Reflections on the Journey to CNEP — Mayri Sagady 8 {
i
A Nurses‘s Diary — Ruth A. Settlemyre Wright 10 i
Notes from the School - Kate McHugh 15 ,
Beyond the Mountains - Deanna Severance 17
Miscellaneous - Barb Gibson 20
My Courier Experience — Caroline Leis 22 ,
. . 1
In Memoriam - Barb Gibson 25 p
In Honor Of — Barb Gibson 26  
In Memoriam/In Honor Contribution Cards 27
Urgent Needs — Barb Gibson inside back cover
i
5
Cover: In the early days, Couners groomed, fed and kept the horses i
prepared for the nurses to make their daily rounds or for emergency calls
in the middle of the night. Photographer unknown.
i
  j
Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin  
US ISSN 0016-2116 1
Published at the end of each quarter by the Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. I
Wendover, Kentucky 41775 I
Subscription Price $ 5.00 a Year for Donors X
Subscription Price $10.00 a Year for Institutions  
Editor's Office, Wendover, Kentucky 41775 I
VOLUME 70 NUMBER 4 JUNE SPRING 1995  
Second-class postage paid at Wendover, KY 41775 and at additional mailing offices. '
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Frontier Nursing Service, Wendover, KY 41775.
Copyright Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.l995/All Rights Reserved
 

 r 
l 
l  .
{Z
  QUARTERLY BULLETH~I 1
  -Field Notes
 Q 1. Wendover seemed to spring forth with the weather this
  year. Along with the daffodils blooming came a large number of
  students on tour. I spoke to an average of two groups each week
 A including students from Prestonsburg, Eastem Kentucky Univer-
 `, sity, Lees College, University of Kentucky, Somerset, Northem
  Kentucky and John Hopkins University. I had the good fortune to
 *  travel to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to give a
  l presentation to the Public Health students. Kathie Cook, FNP and
 V I spoke to the Kentucky Student Nursing Association Convention
?   in Louisville.
I l In March Chris Jackman (former courier) organized three
 _ j fellow nursing students and two instructors from the University of
 ·   Wisconsin to come for a week. They all enjoyed leaming about our
 ·  model of rural health care along with the fun. Instructor Susan
  Peck gave an in service for FNS personnel on Theraputic Touch.
  My wrenched ankle certainly benefited — amazing! Wendover
  seemed very quiet after they went home and we hope they will visit
  again.
  I. Just to keep the staff on their toes, we also hosted Chris and
 K2 Diedre Brookings from ENGLAND (see Barb's note under mis-
CL I.  cellaneous news) for a weekend, four Level III groups from the
 ifi  School for dinner, two Midwifery Bound festive evenings, the
 S.  April Board meeting, a dinner to honor the Mary Breckinridge
t j Healthcare physicians, and Damonica Huff (former courier) brought
 `!, a group for dinner while they were here helping repair homes in the
  area.
 ·l  Meanwhile, Junior and Michael (maintenance) have been
 gi  just as busy with all of their projects. It took a while but the
 r  Development Office tumed into a silk purse. Lots of paint, new
5 j  light fixtures, new floor, pretty new valances and the transforma-
  tion was accomplished. Throughout it all, Mae kept her sense of
 ,, r I humor and coped with having the office in three different loca-
 i*  tions! Since we had enough floor left over, we decided to freshen
  up the bathroom next door as well. As soon as they finished inside,
w 
<“ 

 1
I
E
2 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE {
  `    ,·_I·I— I . ~ I
"""  .     Fi" _ `   · I
E IE I``I L   `;;·   .I»: . . , ,. l
    . al l iii I »   ¢“,   · F
    N»`R     RA“I 1              —-;   I  I
E3     `.`_       k       l     .`     g!
    »'=;   6 H i " · `   ii Q
 04 V;   . A ¤· ·  
it   I * g !`  
  . —"° """ ..   *
 M   ` r { i;
" ‘ '\ A ·   -1 ‘ l
Re-modeled Development Office l
the sun came out and the grass started growing again. Lots of  
winter debris was collected and the drains were cleaned. May l we  
welcomed Jerry Adams to the maintenance crew for the summer. i
He will be working here at Wendover as well as on the Hospital l
Hill helping to keep both looking pristine.  
Recently, mother nature gave us another one of her _
surprises when a large hickory tree decided it was time to go. Over
it went one calm evening taking a part of the driveway with it.
Though the power lines went none were broken, so Wendover
continued as usual. The men repaired the driveway and have been
practicing their woodsmen skills with chainsaws and chippers. I
With summer almost upon us we're looking forward to S
friends coming to visit and reminice during their vacations. g
OOO!OOOIIOOIOOIIIIOIIIIOOOO i
We have recently been organizing the Garden House attic '
and found that we have an excessive number of Quarterly Bulle- y
tins dating back to 1930. Anyone interested in purchasing a {
particular issue or several issues may contact me, Susie Hudgins,
with the date or issues you wish to purchase.

 I QUARTERLY BULLETH\I 3
Thanks to all of you who helped make the new stove for
the Big House possible. So many donations were received we were
, able to purchase the stove as well as two stainless steel tables and
( more cookware. Cassie has got to be the happiest lady in all of
l Leslie County! -Susie Hudgins
L!   jc Tg;      4.    
I E . T: in 4     in       ° iii
  P V     l ' i i n   U   . P,   i   {ji; *§`i·'t
i   ‘’’s··¢   ‘    :**71 _  ` "  
»         rlr    7  
· ` n `   »   ~·     ‘ .; zf » .   ·,‘ ;
l ,  =   ·’$·‘·     As J   7 E
{ I rr »..,».$·4x ·     V; i I
V 1   j if 4
  Y]  i. .     “ ‘
r g        V  y     y   \ye,»   . ,,1,.. Vny_~   _.V:V Q
1       ”`hl ’ 7 ' , rsr_ { hees 1   ;»»j  
i Cassie and the new stove
OOOOOOOOOOOOOIOOOIOOOOIOOOIO
New Courier Coordinator
Effective June 1, Emily Davis, former courier, will begin
1 work as Courier Coordinator. Please direct all in uiries to her
z . q
{ attention at FNS, Inc., 100 Wendover Road, Wendover, Kentucky
41775, 606-672-23 17. I will continue to be director of the program
but Emily will be coordinating activities until August 1 at which
' time we hope to hire a permanent coordinator.
-Barb Gibson

 1 1
1 1
1 4 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE 1.
1 Courier News  
1
1 Former Courier News:  
1 Grove City, PA - Jessica Rice (June '94) wrote during  
1 March, "I will be working at beautiful Estes Park in Colorado. Not
1 the most fun job, and not that great of pay either, but I've heard the ’
= location is worth it. Some of my friends from high school and
college are working there too. My freshman year has gone pretty
well so far. I have done well enough to be accepted into "Crown
and Sceptre" which is a freshman women's honorary. The most  
fun part of my year has been singing in the Touring Choir. We I
went to tour in New England in February which was a blast. I 1
1 recently tried to meet up with Michael Todd and Dascha Weir but  
  missed them. One more piece of news, I have switched my major ¥
1 from Biochemistry to English."  
l
1 Lewiston, Maine - Anne Kelsey (June '94) wrote, "I hope  
I all is well at Wendover. I seem to have started an FNS trend at  
1 Bowdoin! I keep showing all of my friends the pictures I took in 1
Kentucky and telling them how great it is! I hope to return some  
day."  
Minneapolis, Minnesota — Christina Frazel (April '94) 1
wrote in February, "I'm sure that Spring is pushing it's way back 1
1 to Hyden and all the trees are starting to bloom and birds are  
  chirping away. School is plugging along. I'm volunteering with a  
1 local prenatal program and working for an MD on an immuniza-  
1 tion study. I'm becoming more and more interested in family 4
1 practice medicine — so, we‘ll see!"  
Farmington, Minnesota - Julia Swanson (September  
’94) wrote during February, "I miss you all so much. I miss  
peeking in to say ‘hi' to Beulah every now and then trying to make  
her laugh; walking past Susie's office on my way out and making lg
funny faces (and having her make them back);! tripping over  
1 Bandit; de-stapling and making tons of copies for Barb; saying  I
1 .
I

 l
é
{ QUARTERLY BULLETIN 5
i "Kit did it" every time something went wrong. I miss whatever it
i was Mae had for me to do; I miss Dr. Anne's stories and, of course,
? Susie's too; but most all, I miss the wonderful candy we made!
i "My life has kind of settled down for now. I bought my
i first car in January. It's kind of like the 'heap' at Wendover. I found
Q a job working with mentally and physically handicapped children.
It's challenging and I really enjoy it. I work one on one in their
homes. I had my medical school interview from Hell in January.
My interviewer was tough on me but he said I did a good job in the
5 end. Now I sit with my fingers crossed all day and night waiting
1 to here from them"
  Towson, Maryland - Susie Quinlan (July '93) wrote
  during April, "Just a quick note to say hello. All is well here and
  I'm keeping as busy as ever. I'm finishing up a photography class
{ this week and soon I'll be starting a program to learn how to write
  children‘s literature. This weekend I planted a big garden. It's the
  old Kentucky influence coming out. Amy and I reminisce fre-
Q quently. I now have a very serious boyfriend who I'm certain I'll
  marry. He already asked his mother if he could have the engage·
{ ment ring his dad had given her. Just a matter of time."
I
Itacha, New York — Sarah Galbreath (January '95) wrote
during May, "I am writing to thank you for such a fabulous time
this winter. It was an experience far greater than I had expected. It
g seems so strange now to think that just a month ago I was seeing
  babies born and helping in the operating room. I miss the Southem
E4 hospitality (and cooking) that the North just seems to lack.
r "In two days I'm going to Baltimore to visit Catie Fisher
E (courier, January '95). I am trying to find a summer job as a tennis
j. coach. I am also looking to volunteer at the local hospital's
E maternity ward. It will be weird not having a Dr. Baucom running
e things. I spent a week last month learning how to hang glide on
3 North Carolina's outer banks. I was surprised I wasn't scared at
I being over the ocean at fifteen hundred feet."

 6 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE L
Spring Group of Couriers:
    -* , .· , . . l_ QF   iii?  ..5 - ,.
  . ». t `f`   » ‘    
  .    L   ‘I‘I 4 ~ .   "‘¥ ` ' ` “ S`‘ R  Z   l
  Q B r i t   ` .   I
  "· S   _  -   , t     “‘€;g~*_‘gL  ,j ‘
  ~     \`·‘*¤`-\   rrr  
    B l}i"i*°    "    E;  ti.   I
  I I  i     1    
Leftto right: David Randall, Krista Nickerson, Betsy Carter and
Caroline Leis. p
Betsy Carter, Long Green, Maryland was here from Y
March 27 - May l2. She attended Bowdoin College. While here, .
Betsy worked with midwife Betsy MacMillan, observed surgery,  
tutored, shadowed physicians and went on home health visits. l
Betsy's future plans are to find a summer job and apply for medical  
school.  
Caroline Leis, Framingham, Massachusetts was here  
from Mary l7 — May 24. Caroline attended Dartmouth in New  
Hampshire. She had the opportunity to shadow Betsy MacMillan,  
midwife, work in Muncy Elementary School, observe surgery, {
shadow nurse pracitioners and physicians and to tutor. Caroline 4
plans to apply to medical school.  
David Randall, St. Johnsbury, Vermont stayed from  
March 16 - May 23. Before coming to FNS, David worked on a _
dairy farm and also at a woodworking company. During his time
here he worked a lot with local woodscraftsmen Sherman Wooton .
and Carl Woods. He also spent time with local quiltmaker Alabam ,
Morgan. David's plans are to begin college in the fall. .

 I
 
  QUARTERLY BULLETIN 7
l Krista Nickerson, Andover, Massachusetts arrived March
i 30 and will be here until mid-June. Aside from shadowing
practitioners and physicians and going on home health visits,
( Krista will be assisting with the orientation of the new group of
couriers arriving in June.
New Couriers Arriving in June:
Mitch McClure - Thayer, Kansas, age 21, graduated from Haward.
1 He says his interest in becoming a courier is primarily based on his
Q future plans to pursue a career in medicine. He wants to become a
  family physician and to someday practice in an area similar to
i Leslie County. He feels the courier program will provide him with
  a good basis for examining the realities of rural medicine.
i Albert Nguyen - Buffalo, New York, age 21, attended Comell
  University. He says, "This sort of experience will give me a chance
g to do health care with hands on experience and working in a rural
  community will add diversity and fresh perspective to the knowl-
  edge and experience that can be gained."
[
i Elizabeth Bird - Condado, Puerica Rico, age 22, attended Bowdoin
l College and states the following. "Working as a courier would be
I a tremendous learning experience for me. I think it will give me a
i great deal of perspective into the sorts of things I might want out
  of a career. The fact that all this will take place in rural Appalachia
  is an added bonus to me." Elizabeth is considering a career in
T t medicine.
pi
F Danielle Stanko - Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, age 20, gradu-
· ated from Allegheny College and says that medicine is her future
I: ambition. She is from a rural area and wishes to gain medical
’ experience in a rural area.
I Kenneth Dunn - Olmsted Falls, Ohio, age 23, graduated from
Stanford University in Califomia. He is also planning to attend
A medical school. He arrives in July.

 I
I
I
8 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE I
I Reflections on The Journey to CNEP
I by Mayri Sagady - Class 11
I I can't remember where I got the Childhood Graphics I
I catalogue but I can remember the feel of it in my hands. The tall
I glass windows looking over my backyard are near, and it is a sunny ·
  day because I can feel the sun warming my hands as I gaze at the
I words before me. It's an announcement of some sort and it says I
I could become a nurse—midwife and stay in my own community.
  The possibility begins as a gentle glow, and explodes into a
  shirmnering star in the distance for me to follow. I say out loud to
  no one but myself, "This is my school." I
That was 1989, the year after Crystal's birth cleared my  
I ears so I could hear the calling to midwifery. After 15 years in the I
entertainment industry I had little on board to give me hope that I
only six years later I would be dining at Wendover as part of
I CNEP's Class 11. I was not a nurse. The waiting list at my local I
I college was four years long, and I didn't even have the prerequi-
I sites in place.
I The ride up the hill was filled with switchbacks. I fell off Y
I my horse a couple of times and then there were some fallen trees
I across my path. The first time I was thrown, I had just started my I
prerequisite classes when a drunk driver came down the wrong I
I side of the highway one night and put me in the ICU with more  
I parts broken than working. My husband asked me later, after I had s
I been to the edge of life and back, if it had changed anything about I
I what I wanted to do. It didn't. In fact, I felt more sure than ever that
- I was meant to be a midwife. I had to ride a bit slower then, pausing ,
I for six separate hospitalizations along the way. I
I I sent for packets from the school at regular intervals,  
laboring over each requirement. In the beginning I had none of   ’
them. As I approached my starting date for nursing school I kept  
telling myself, one step at a time - you set your sight on the star you  
want to follow and you take one step at a time. Meanwhile, I had I
I become a childbirth educator and began attending births as a labor -
I support provider in the hospitals and as an apprentice midwife for »
  homebirths. Q
I .

 p QUARTERLY BULLETIN 9
I When at lastl started nursing school in 1991, I nudged my
horse onward once again up the hill only to be thrown again. This
time by Hepatitis "C" from my blood transfusions. I made it
{ through one semester of nursing school and then spent the next
year on Interferon studying midwifery on my own. I felt like one
of those tin ducks in a shooting gallery who gets knocked down,
‘ goes under, and comes up on the other side only to get shot at again.
I kept attending births when I could and I kept looking at mid-
wifery school options only to wind up with a warm feeling in my
heart when I looked at anything to do with CNEP.
In 1992, I went to the ACNM conference in Arizona and
hung around the CNEP booth like a circling hawk. With the
I revision of some admission policies, I leamed that some trees .
  across your path clear themselves away. I walked away with a
j Banyan Tree pin which to this day sticks on the bulletin board
A above my desk saying "Meet the Need".
> Finally, I got back on my horse and stayed on. The hill was
l unbelievable steep but nothing lay in my way. The application
p process felt like that last, steepest part of the climb where you can't
I breathe anymore and muscles refuse to move. I knew it was a long
  shot but, I felt my rope around that star was sturdy and I kept °
I seeing myself in Kentucky in March.
, When the letter came, I wept at my kitchen table with no
i one home to tell. It was another sunny day in my house.
T So here I sit, Friday night at Midwifery Bound. I reflect on
I the tears that sprang to my eyes last night when Kitty's words
i brought back the feeling of the sun shining on my hand holding the
Childbirth Graphics catalogue. I look down the steep hill from
1 where we stand and it seems I am looking back at the last six years.
, Yet behind me as I gaze over the trees below is the rest of the hill
I which I must now tum around and face. I know I will make it up
{ ' that hill too, one step at a time, just like before. This time I won't
l be climbing alone though, forl can see 37 others on this hill, each
F with their rope around that same star. Together we'l1 get there, each
I on our own path with warm sun from this weekend shining on our
‘ face.

 I
I
{ 10 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
I A Nurse's Diary p
l        — .. ._I,‘ I
I       .   I
I  g 2      I I ‘
I I   AI»SI .
     _  p I
I “. 7 W `Y `TY-I iter ..»· M I
     CY`   I.,      
  Ruth Ann Settlemyre Wright I
I r
 ; Dear Friends of the Frontier Nursing Service, ¥
' Last summer, I saw the wonderful photographs of the ‘
Frontier Nursing Service taken in 1930 by Marvin Breckinridge
I Patterson. The curator of The Patterson Memorial Museum showed I
r a most interesting video, "The Forgotten Frontier". ;
I The photos and the video were of special interest to me as §
I Ihad spent part of the 1936 summer months there at Wendover and r
Hyden. Mrs. Breckinridge had been the speaker at the graduation Y
I services of The Miami Valley School of Nursing held at The  
I National Cash Register School House, Dayton, Ohio and I was one  
\ of the young nurses in the class. Mrs. Breckimidge was a fine  
I speaker saying later that the Frontier Nursing Service could use a I
I summer replacement for an RN who was on vacation. So, that is 3
l how I came to the FNS and I remember it ever so fondly. r
I First, a relative drove me from Dayton, Ohio to Hazard, ;
I Kentucky. Then, I took a bus to Hyden, population of 313, where  
  I was met by a young courier with an extra horse to guide me to the · '
— hospital in Hyden. My scant diary notes record: "I rode Ned." At
` the hospital, I met dear "Mac", Miss Annie McKinnon, assistant .
. director ofthe FNS. She was very gracious to me; served the nurses
I tea at 10:30 and 4:30. She asked, hopefully, if I played bridge as A
they needed a fourth. I didn't play then, sorry to report. She was  S.
I .
  Y
I l.

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 11
Scotch and very energetic, efficient and happy.
The hospital consisted of the nurses' living quarters and
about 20 beds for the patients. I'm quoting now from my diary:
; "Changed to my uniform and went on duty at 1 1:00 to care for three
babies with diarrhea, a woman who had secondary anemia from
vaginal bleeding, a postpartum who had delivered a still bom and
' a prenatal with complications." These were my patients.
From my diary notes again, including personal detail
about the people living and working in Hyden: 'Charlie' (Miss
Mowbry), a graduate of Boston who was in charge of the hospital;
'Wally' (Miss Waller), middle-aged small English midwife and
very nice; Miss Delany, a recent graduate from Lexington, Ken-
, tucky; 'Bee' (Miss Zachaevelli), young, graduate from Lexington;
Sally (Miss Powell), night nurse, young, redhead, a clinic relief
l nurse; Pat (Miss Gauntly) from Maryville, Kentucky; Janet (Miss
Coleman) an English midwife; Mill, an English Midwife and a
district nurse; Mary, (Miss Cummins) from Wisconsin, a young
district nurse and midwife; Mattie, Rose and Ruth all wonderful
cooks; the dogs were Ski and Twig; there is Dr. Herin, wife and two
. children; Donna and Dorothy, and a relieving M.D., Dr. Kooser,
T who is from Nebraska and very capable."
. Still from my little diary: "The atmosphere here is infor-
mal, warm, friendly and homey. The living room has a large
  fireplace, easy chairs, desks, piano and the food is excellent."
  Tuesday August 11, 1936, "Worked 8-10:30 and 4-7:30.
  Babies quite sick - most of them are on skimmed lactic acid milk
  formula with bismuth subcarb ac, giving infusion B.I.D. of 250 cc
. saline. On ‘off hours' went for a walk. Took some pictures. Passed
· the Lewis cabin. Mrs. Lewis asked me to 'step in and set awhile'.
5 Very hospitable, gave me a drink of cool water. Went down to
E Hyden in the evening with Eva - had a coke! Hyden has a court
E' house, school house, drug store, and dry goods store."
Q Wednesday: "My day off; went riding, had a nap, read and
  helped serve tea."
| Thursday: "Two more sick babies. Helped in clinic. To
‘ bed early."
Friday: "Still busy. We lost one of the sick babies. His

 I 12 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
I older brother came after the body on a mule. Sad. No baths today
i as the water supply is very low."
L Saturday: "Pat and I worked in a.m. Played the Victrola ',
and danced in the evening. Very warm."
Sunday: "Worked in a.m. with Charlie and Pat. Not so
busy now. Had a lovely dinner. Went riding with Pat in the ‘-
aftemoon. Rode 'Little Bea'. Went up over the ridge and called on
Susie Howard. She wants us to come back and spend the day with
` her. A rain and gorgeous sunset later." p
Monday: "Worked until noon. Left at 4:00 with Dorothy,
a courier from Mobile, Alabama and Penelope from New York
City. Rode Bobette to Wendover, a wonderful ride along the creek.
Arrived at 5:15. Met Mrs. Breckinridge. She is most gracious and
welcomed me warmly. Have a nice room on the Upper Shelf. It is
Bland Morrow's cabin (she is on vacation). It's a small charming
cabin with four rooms, comfortable, cozy and cool. I can almost .
touch the side of the mountain from the window. Grand dinner,
then to the Garden House for some ice water."
Tuesday: "Breakfast at the Main House at 7:30. Met  
Margaret Watson, midwife, tall, scotch. A month ago, a horse fell .
on her, rolled on her leg, so she is unable to do much riding. Went .
up Hunicane Creek and made two prenatal calls and several sick I
calls. Most of the way, the road is the creek bed." I
Wednesday: "Out alone this a.m. - up Hurricane Creek. I
Dinner with the Fields family. Spent an hour with Lawton Bowl- 7
ing. While there, the baby fell and cut his eye so I walked down the  
creekbed where I had left the horse, got in the saddlebag and put I
on a sterile dressing. Entire family very hospitable. They want me  
to come back and spend the day. 'We'll sure fix a chicken.' Home , I
at 3:30, charted with Margaret. Dinner at 8:30. Mrs. Breckinridge  
called at 10:00 p.m., Margaret is going up Hurricane Creek for a 2 '
delivery. She asked if I wanted to go and I spent the night there.  
Baby delivered at 3:30." (Note: I remember how efficient Marga-  
ret was and so very kind keeping the young husband busy with the E
horses. The cabin was primitive, immaculately clean. The delivery  
was done with full sterile conditions and the baby came with no  
tearing of the peritoneum.) y

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 13
Thursday: "Breakfast with Mrs. Breckinridge and Marga-
ret. Wendy, Mrs. Breckinridge's favorite dog, was operated on -
cysts removed by Dr. Henn. Got a sick call from up J ohn's Creek.
'; Margaret couldn't go because of an OB delivery. I went four miles.
Little boy was quite ill. Looks like scarlet fever. Dr. Tumer will see
.. him Tuesday. I went back to John's Creek. Dr. Tumer says it is
scarlet fever. Left gown and instructions for nursing care to an
older sister as the mother is in Hyden Hospital. Back for lunch.
Helped Margaret with charting. Had guests in the evening. Dave
A and Ed, two medical students from Ann Arbor, Michigan. To
Garden House after dinner, music, dancing."
Saturday: "Slept until 10:30. Pat and Sally came from the
hospital and I rode to meet them. Then lunch. Helped water the
. horses. Took some pictures. Helped Mrs. Breckinridge feed the
chickens. Dressed. Tea. Guests from Wisconsin. Read and wrote
p letters in my cabin."
Monday: "To Muncy School about four miles with Mar-
garet. We gave about 20 typhoid shots. Back at 12 for lunch, then
I up J ohn's Creek to see Little Wilbur. He is much better from the
L scarlet fever. Rained most of the way back. Rode Gloria today.
_ Charted with Margaret, then a bath, then tea."
l Tuesday: "Out in the district at 7:00 a.m. with Margaret to
Q Greenup Creek School. We gave 30 typhoid inoculations. The
, school house is one room - primitive, few desks, a few arm chairs,
f four windows. Two teachers, enrollment 74. Average attendance
g about 50. Then on up to John's Creek. Home for lunch, helped
i Margaret sterilize and pack the midwife saddlebags. Then we got
_ ready for a grab sale tomorrow. Dinner at 7 p.m. To the Garden
  House with Dorothy, one of the secretaries, from Cincinnati. Then
  to my cabin on the Upper Shelf and to bed."
  . Wednesday: "Had the Grab sale at the clinic today. Prices:
  shoes 5 cents, dresses 10 cents. Had about 4 customers. The front
[ terrace was full when I got up. Finished at 1:30. Then helped
  Margaret make out monthly reports. Charlie and Pat came from the
gi hospital at Hyden. We had cokes with ice! !!"
  This is the end of my notes in the diary. Sony I did not
continue with it. I am now 81 years old but the years have not

 I I4 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
y dimmed the fond memories and admiration I hold for the Frontier
Nursing Service. I was privileged to have known Mrs. Breckin-
ridge and also my dear mentor with whom I usually rode, Margaret
Watson. The entire staff was well-trained and most friendly and In
helpful. I corresponded with Margaret but as England became
involved in World War H, I heard she had left for London to be in
the ambulance corp. I never heard from her again. If any of the '
present staff, after these many years, would have heard anything
about her, I would be grateful to have word of her.
My daughter, Linda Longfellow Longstreth, found abook
Wide Neighborhoods for me and became interested after Marvin
Patterson's exhibit of photos, and especially in trying to obtain a
copy of the video, "Forgotten Frontier," which you graciously
agreed to send to her. It has brought back many pleasant and
poignant memories to me and I thank you very much.
With tender thoughts and my best wishes for the contin-
ued success of the Frontier Nursing Service.
-Ruth Ann Settlemyre Wright
  ’ g /_ » , _
i, __     is   ff ‘ f
· . '·;'  [Dk `A a.
Margaret Watson, midwU’e E
i
E

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 15
Notes from the School
What do you need to leam in order —
9 to be a nurse-midwife in the l990's? Many
people wonder what is expected of nurse- _
_ midwives in this era of high-technology A 4+  
and specialized sets of knowledge. The `   .
curriculum of the School undergoes freq- »-·
uent scrutiny from the faculty who constantly wonder what to
include or delete from the basic curriculum.
The curriculum of the Community—Based Nurse-Mid-
wifery Education Program (CNEP) reflects a mixture of the basic
knowledge that underlies nurse-midwifery practice with some
new areas of expertise needed to practice in today's health care
arena.
Included in the basic knowledge are the courses in prena-
tal care, labor and delivery, newborn and postpartum care. These
areas of practice have always been within the purview of mid-
wives, throughout history and across the world. These courses are
the heart and soul of midwifery practice. In our current curriculum
there is an increasing emphasis on care of women in between
pregnancies and after the child—bearing years are over. As our
population ages and as more women defer childbearing, it is
critical for the nurse-midwife to expand her care of women to areas
such as peri-menopausal care, family planning and routine gyne-
cology. And, in the days of managed care, nurse-midwives must
be known as caregivers to women throughout the life cycle or risk
_ being excluded from the referral systems of big health mainte-
{ nance organizations.
. A new addition to the core knowledge expected of nurse-
il midwives is pharmacology. More than half of the states now
recognize the capability of the nurse-midwife in prescribing
_ medications for her clients. States rightfully expect that each
A school adequately prepares their students for this responsibility.
Aside from these core areas, the CNEP curriculum em-
, phasizes a number of important other areas. Professional role
  development includes content areas such as the history ofthe
1
 
t

 16 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
profession and ethical issues within childbearing and midwifery.
More and more the students are interested in preparation for the
real world: from resumes to interviews to negotiating their first
job, our students are aware of the competitive nature of health care ·_
today. To balance all of this reality shock, we have a course entitled
"Health and Wellness". In it the students focus both on themselves
and on the wellness issues that affect every woman's life. We never l
want to lose sight of the goal of modeling health to our clients by
living a balanced life ourselves!
The final creative edge to the CNEP curriculum is pro-
vided by the Birth Center course sequence. In these three interre-
lated courses the student is challenged to understand the history
and possibilities that birth centers present to the practice of
midwifery and obstetrics. They then make a comprehensive needs
assessment in their local communities and write a proposal for
starting a new birth center. By the end ofthe three courses, students
have the expertise to go forth and seed the country with new birth
centers. This very reality-based course is characteristic of the
school's pragmatic philosophy regarding educating midwifery
practitioners who are prepared for action, not words!
As the years go by, the faculty will continue to scrutinize
the curriculum. Some possibilities that we may share with you in
the future include a streamlined accelerated course of study of
students who already have been educated as advanced practice
nurses. -Kate McHugh

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 17
Beyond the Mountains
. Dr. Wasson has served in these moun— ·
J tains 26 years. I have