Connecticut western news., 1918-02-07
RED CROSS ISSUES
CALL TO NURSES
FOR WAR SERVICE
Statement Says Between 10000
and 10000 Will Be Needed
in a Short Time.

A call to qualified nurses to enlist
for war service has been issued by the
American Red Cross Nursing Service,
the mobilizing agency for nurses for
the United States Army and Navy.
Attention is called also to the imper-
ative need for an increased enrolment
in training schools so that fully quail
fed nurses may be released from civil
ian hospitals for military service.
Citing an estimate of the Surgeon
Generals Office that the Army alone
will need between 10000 and 10000
nurses in short time, the Red Cross
Nursing Service makes it clear that
the present average enrolment of
1000 q month falls far short of the
military needs of the Government.
Moreover, it is asserted, the Allies are
depending upon this country to sup
plement their nursing service.
The fact that the recruiting of
nurses does not keep pace with the
military needs does not indicate that
the women in the nursing profession
are slackers, according to Miss Jane A.
Delano, Chairman of the Red Cross
Nursing Service 1t indicates merely
that the sudden and extraordinarily
heavy demand for nurses has not been
thoroughly realized by the women
available for this service.
AS demands grow daily, the prob
lem of home nursing for civilian
needs becomes harder to solve. 1t Is
estimated by the Army Nurses Corps
that over 10000 nurses will be need
ed, on the basis of the present esti-
mates, for an army of 100000 men.
1880 Enrolled.
Statistics prepared at the headquar-
ters of the Red Cross Nursing Service
in Washington show that there are
between $4,000 and 10000 registered
nurses in the United States. OF this
number approximately 16,500 are en-
rolled Red Cross nurses, the majority
of whom are m active service or
ready for mobilization for specified
purpose. The Red Cross enrolment
forms the reserve of the United States
Army Nurses Corps and the United
States Navy Nurses Corps.
Already 1,790 nurses have been
equipped and sent abroad by the Red
Cross Nursing Service. For service
at home the Red Cross has provided
$500 nurses. More than 1000 addi-
tional nurses have been organized
into units which now are ready for
mobilization.
Red Cross nurses also are doing
special work In sanitary zones sur
rounding environments. Eighty-nine
are serving in q public health detach-
ment under the American Red Cross
in France. Twelve public health
nurses are I'm Roumania, three in
Greece and one in Serbia.
Requirements Modified.
All Red Cross nurses assigned to
duty in military hospitals automatical-
ly become members Of the Army or
Navy Nurses Corps and are no longer
under the supervision or direction of
the Red Cross. These nurses, when
on active duty, are entitled TO the
same Government war risk insurance
as Army or Navy officers and enlist
ed men.
To meet the increasing demands of
the Army and Navy Nurses Corps the
Red Cross has modified somewhat the
former requirements for enrolment.
The age limit is lowered to twenty
one years, and in special cases nurses
over forty may be accepted. Small
schools for training nurses have been
placed on the accredited list.
Since the entrance of the United
| States in the war the number of pu-
pills entering nurses training schools
has increased 20 per cent. Within the
last few days the Red Cross has re-
cruited and equipped a group of 100
nurses for the Army Nurses Corps
! for service with the British EXpedi-
! tionary Forces at the request Of the
: British Government. 1t has also
| modified several highly specialized
groups of nurses for orthopedic, psy-
chiatric and facial surgery hospitals,
as well as mobile operating units and
other important groups.