The Application of Psychology

types of people; they may be young or they may be old. The well-educated student nurse has a very thorough course in psychology. This shows how important the leaders of nursing education feel this subject to be in the production of the finest type of graduate nurse. There are several reasons why psychology is so important to the student nurse. It gives her a deeper insight into human nature and helps her to understand the reactions of her patients, and also to anticipate her patients' responses and so be prepared to meet them. It enables her to adjust herself to the entirely new atmosphere of the hospital and also to the hospital routine and discipline which are necessary for the best and most successful care of the patient. It shows her most definitely that she must not live entirely for nursing, but that to be a good nurse she must take an active interest in outside affairs. A good nurse not only uses her psychology on her patient but also to help herself out of the many difficulties which this profession brings to the best of us. It is very true that, as Socrates said, one must, Know thyself. It is this subject which enables one to do that very thing. There is another quotation which I like very much and I believe every nurse should take it for a standard. This is Shakespea e's, To thine own self be true, nd it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. I have been reading a book entitled, The Art of Helping People Out of Trouble.' This book perhaps does not apply to this essay, nevertheless, that is one of the many things a nurse is expected to do. The patient comes to her in trouble, not only physical but also mental and sometimes financial. The nurse is not expected to solve these difficulties, but she is supposed to try and turn the thoughts of her patient into pleasant and optimistic channels. It is only by the use of psychology and her own innate sympathy that she is going to be able to help her patient. Usually patients are willing to tell the nurse all their difficulties, and the proper reception of these confidences makes all the