The Lambertville record., 1918-02-14
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 mobillzing 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
iun 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 1t clear that
the present average enrolment of
LOCO a month falls far short of the
military needs of the Government.
Moreover, 1t 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
| hn
ed, on the basis of the present esti-
mates, for an army of 100000 men.
16,50o Enrolled.
Statistics prepared at the headQuar-
tiers of the Red Cross Nursing Service
in Washington show that there are
between 10000 and 10000 registered
nurses In the United States. OF this
number approximately 16,50O are en-
rolled Red Cross nurses, the ma jOrity
of whom are In 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
|
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 cantOnments. Eighty-nlne
are serving in public health dctach-
ment under the American Red Cross
in France Twelve public health
nurses are in ROumanla, three In
Greece and one In Serbia.
Requirements Modified.
All Red Cross nurses assigned to
duty in military hospitals au;omaticaI-
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
us 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 Il 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 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 ais"
mobiIized several highly specialized
groups OF nurses for orthopedic. psy-
chiatric and facial surgery hospitals.
rs well as mobile operating units and
other important groups.