Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-16
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES
TO BE TRAINED HERE
school for Social Economy to Offer
Course Unique In
South.
WILL MEET GENERAL DEMAND
Rural Communities and Factory
NeiEhborhoods Anxious to Secure
Services of Competent Public
Health Nurses and Social Workers.

training OF public health nurses to
De established in the South-,he Rich
Tond Schoo! OF Social Economy. There
are several schools of this type In
the East and Middle West, but pre-
fiously there have been no opportunl-
Ties for graduate nurses in Virginia TO
prepare themselves for public health
nursing without leaving the state.
The choice of Richmond az a cen
ter FOR the training of public health
nurses is especially appropriate. with
the Richmond Instructive Visiting
Nurses Association TO rely on for held
work and the State and city health
depa rtments and the Medical College
OF Virsinia to assist the staff on the
theoretical side. course OF training
has been drawn up which can be du-
plicated in no other city of the South.
and probably in few other cities in
the entire country.
Or. Henry II. Hibbs. the director Of
the school. states that he asked two
eminent authorities on public health
nursing. one in Washington and the
other in New York. whether the above
statement was true one. One or
these said that mot only was public
health nursing and public health work
better developed in Richmond thar in
any other city of the South, hut that
II was entirely fair TO say that there
were not four other cities in the coun-
or plane"
She then went on to complement in
slowing terms the health departments
OF the state and city. and the work Of
the Richmond Instructive Visiting
Nurses Association. The othc- au-
thority in New York expressed herself
in similar terms. There can be no
question" she said. that the oppor-
tunities for training public health
nurses in Richmond are cxtraordinar-
lily good"
TRAIN NURSES ron SERVICE
IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
The primary purpose, OF the course
for public health nurses is to train
nurses who are graduates OF recognized
hospital training schools for positions
in public health nursing III rural and
factory communities we'll as In
cities. The idea. once rather general.
that graduate nurse. without train
ing In social service or preventive
medicine. and with little knowledge
OF tho social and economic aspects of
disease ~ competent to engage In pub
lie health work. is rapidly passing
away in the South. The conception
that public health nursing is a form
" social service work. and tina; the
health nurse must know not only how
TO nurse the Sick but also how TO
teach people TO keep we'll is supplant-
must be especially trained for her
work.
But previously there have heen alb
solutely no opportunities in the South
for nurses TO train themselves for
public health work. or to acquire the
specialized knowledge and the social
point OF view that the health nurse
must have. AS the chief health officer
Of a large Southern city has repeat
cdly pointed out: We are forced TO
employ graduate nurses with no social
training with the hope that after We
put them to work we can give them
the social and preventive viewpoint
which the visiting health nurse must
have TO be successful. But too often
this is vain hope. However intel
ligent and devoted to her work the
nurse may he we find that the press
ing requirements OF her daily routine
prevent her from acquiring. or the
chief nurse from teaching her. the
things the ordinary graduate nurse
must learn TO become successful in
public health or visiting nursing. The
graduate nurse from the hospital
should be trained by post Graduate
course in public health nursing before
she goes into, public health work"
MANY COMMUNITIES
APPEAL FOR HELP
There can be no question, therefore
as to the need for a training school
which will tit graduate nurses for
positions in public health nursing in
the South. On this point Miss Mamie
J. Minor. head of the visiting Nursing
Associations. of Richmond. said in q
recent interview: Il am looking for
ward TO the opening of the school
with great eagerness. Scarcely week
passes that we do not receive letters
from Virginia and other parts OF the
South asking us TO help in securing
experienced public health nurses. There
la a constant demand for properly
qualified nurses for milling sections.
orphanages. rural communities, tuber-
cuIosis and church work, and the un-
fortunate part about it is that we have
been unable to meet this demand"
Mrs Jane B. Ransom. supervisor of
public health nursing for the State
Department Of Health, has also re-
peatedly urged the need Of training for
public health nurses in the South. In
recent circular letter to the reg
istercd nurses of Virginia, Mrs. Ran
son said: There is a growing demand
for public health nurses throughout the
country, a demand which far exceeds
the supply. We have letters from all
parts of the State and from other
States, asking for nurses to fill posi-
lions. In Virginia we expect to have
six new poHtions this fall. possibly
more. and we need for them energetic,
Enthusiastic nurses, Win social vision.
These positions start with salary of
$500 a year, with the possibility Of
working up to $1,000, If the nurse
makes good.
THE development OF this important
branch of public health work is being
seriously retarded by lack of proper
nurses to fill positions as they are
created. There was never a time when
there was as great need for this kind
of nursing, and there are few ways
in which women can serve their coun-
try better to-day than by doing public
health work."
ALSO OFFERS COURSE
TO SOCIAL WORKERS
The School OF Social Economy will
also offer a course for the training
OF social workers in addition to that
for public health nurses.
The social worker in training. like
the health nurse, needs to learn of the
movement for the prevention Of dis