MH page 219

Those who minister to the sick should understand the importance of careful attention to the laws of health. Nowhere is obedience to these laws more important than in the sickroom. Nowhere does so much depend upon faithfulness in little things on the part of the attendants. In cases of serious illness, a little neglect, a slight inattention to a patient's special needs or dangers, the manifestation of fear, excitement, or petulance, even a lack of sympathy, may turn the scale that is balancing life and death, and cause to go down to the grave a patient who otherwise might have recovered.

Attendants in the sickroom must pay careful attention to health laws and the patient's specific needs, as minor negligences can critically affect the outcome of serious illness. The paragraph emphasizes the critical role of careful nursing care and attention to detail in influencing patient survival during serious illness.

The efficiency of the nurse depends, to a great degree, upon physical vigor. The better the health, the better will she be able to endure the strain of attendance upon the sick, and the more successfully can she perform her duties. Those who care for the sick should give special attention to diet, cleanliness, fresh air, and exercise. Like carefulness on the part of the family will enable them also to endure the extra burdens brought upon them, and will help to prevent them from contracting disease.

A nurse's physical vigor, maintained through proper personal health habits, enhances endurance and successful duty performance. The passage links caregiver physical health and habits directly to work endurance and success in nursing duties.