Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-10-31
Sick and Wounded Soldiers to
Get as Good Care as in
Any Hospital.
RED CROSS MOST EFFICIENT
Best Surgeons and Best Nurses In
United States Sent With Army
to Franee-oniy Graduate
Nurses May Serve.

Washington.-The greatest advance
made by the American Red Cross In
the science Of looking after an army's
welfare is in its nursing service. The
United States is the only nation
which entered the present war with a
fully enrolled and organized service
Of trained nurses. The most rigid rule
Of the Red Cross is that none but
graduate nurses shall be permitted to
serve as nurses In American war hos
pitfalls.
For the first time in history the
United States has sent to the front
with its forces q modern hospital
equipment. The sick and wounded
will receive as good care as they
could get in any hospital In the Unit
ed States. Fine buildings do not make
fine hospital-it Is the surgical and
nursing attention which the patient re-
ceives, and this attention can be given
in a tent as well as in a million-dollar
hospital building. The American Red
Cross is sending with the army the
best surgeons and the best nurses in
the United States-the best In the
world.
Only Trained Nurses Serve.
When the new Red Cross was or
ganized in 1905 the principle was
adopted at once that not only trained
nurses but nurses Of character and
experience vouched for by recognized
hospitals could be enrolled in the nurs-
ing service. Also 1t was recognized
that unless such a service were grad
ually built up in time Of peace, unsat-
isfactory nurses would, be bound to
get into 1t in time Of war. And so,
although 1t seemed then that our
country could never again be drawn
into war, the work Of organizing a
war-nursing service was started, with
the result that today the Red Cross
has enrolled nearly 1900 nurses-the
pick of the trained nurses Of the Unit
ed States. 1t is the one branch in
which the United States is thorough
ly prepared for war-better prepared,
in fact, than any nation which ever
went to war.
These are the qualifications Of a
Red Cross nurse: She must have had
at least two years. course Of train
ing in general hospital with daily
average Of at least 80 patients; she
must be registered in states where
registration is required; she must be
at least twenty-five and not over forty
years of age; she must be approved in
a personal interview with member
of the local Red Cross committee; she
must show her intelligence by writing
an essay on some subject of nursing !;
she must be Endorsed by the executive
committee Of an approved nurses or
gonization, by the superintendent Of
the training school from which she
graduated, and by two members Of the
local committee on Red Cross nursing
service; and finally she must pass a
physical examination.
Such requirements mean that only
the best nurses can be enrolled in the
Red Cross service.
Takes Soldiers Oath.
When the enrolled Red Cross nurse
Is called upon to go to the war she
takes an oath to support the Constitu-
ton of the United States against all
enemies foreign and domestic-the
oath of the soldier. She receives an
appointment card and badge bearing
the same number. Congress has
placed a penalty upon the unauthor-
lied wearing Of the Red Cross nurses
badge.
Her uniform was white, but has
been changed to gray on account Of
the limited laundry facilities in Eu-
rope, with a white cap and an arm
brassard bearing the Red Cross in
sigma. She Is also furnished a blue
cape marked with a red cross. This
uniform Is more carefully protected
against unauthorized use than that of
a soldier in the army. In Europe, the
Red Cross societies were not SO strict
in the protection of uniforms at first,
and they had cause to regret 1t. The
Red Cross uniform there was used by
spies, by women Of bad reputation,
and by grafters collecting money. No
such abuse Of the American Red Cross
nurses uniform is possible.
The woman who has organized this
great service and trained 1t to
morale every bit as perfect as that
of the army or navy Is Jane A. Della
no. herself trained nurse. Miss De-
lano was formerly superintendent Of
the nurses training schools at Bellevue
hospital. New York, and the hospital
Of the University Of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia, and Is now chairman Of
the national committee on Red Cross
nursing service.