The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-15
Why Nurses Want Army Rank Given Them

tenant in the American army, which would
insure her the authority she needs.
When the nurse is sent to q military
hospital abroad all the conditions under
which she must work are novel,. Instead
Of building built and equipped for hos
pital work, she finds a school house, a
theatre, church, mattresses perhaps in
stead Of cots, Pickering lamps or candles
instead Of brilliant lights, and substitutes
for almost everything else she has been
accustomed to- Most difficult of all these
substitutes, the nurses themselves say. are
the enlisted men assigned to ward duty,
but ignorant Of all hospital work, who
take the place of the trained orderlies in
the civilian hospitals. There are now in
the army 10000 Of these hospital men;
they are not only unframed, but they are
moved from place to place so much that
there is little opportunity to train them.
Question Right to Give Orders.
If these unframed men are to do the
work properly they must be willing to
follow the directions of the trained
nurse. Instead of ready obedience, nurse
after nurse reports that when she gives
an order the men turn to her with 4
"Who are your or, as one soldier
answered at Il critical moment, of you've
got a right TO give me orders, where's
your badge"
Actually the army regulations give the
nurse authority over the orderlies, but
these regulations are vague and merely
printed in a book. What the nurses say
they want is the title and insignia of
regular, recognized army rank. They
wish relative. not actual rank, and ask
neither for the pay nor for the COM
mission that goes with regular rank.
Returned soldiers confirm the nurses
reports of INSTRUMENTATION on the part Of
the orderlcs. They declare that more
than once when orderies refuse TO make
the fires or help in surgical dressings the
convalescent soldiers, who are far from
able TO. will get up aud come To the
nurses assistance.
Under the bill all this difficulty would
be avoided by making the nurses posi-
ton and authority 50 clear that enlisted
men would respond without question to
her orders. All nurses in the wards
would Dc called second ieutenants. In.
creasing the rank with responsibility ac-
cording 10 army custom, chief nurses
would receive the rank of first lieuten-
ant; directors and assistant directors of
hospitals and superintendent and as
sistant superintendent of army nurse
corps that Of captain, and one nurse. the
superintendent OF the whole corps, vino
is stationed in Washington, would be
major
Any possible confusion between doe
tors and nurses or regular line officers
and nurses is avoided by making the
entire nurse corps rank below the mcdi-
cal corps and limiting the nurses au-
thority 10 medical and sanitary matters
and other work within the line Of their
duties in and about military hospitals.
Backed by All Associations.
The effort to secure rank is backed by
all the nursing associations in the country,
by the Federation of Clubs, and by the
committees on nursing of the Red Cross
and Council of National Defence Ana
tional committee of women from all parts
Of the country is urging immediate action
on the bill.
Mrs. v Evorit Macy and Mrs Ii. O.
Havemcycr Of New York, Miss Jane De-
lano, director of the Red Cross Nursing
Service: Miss Clara ID. Moves. president
of the American Nurses Association:
Miss Ann Goodrich, Federal Inspector Of
Military Hospitals; Miss Dora Thompson,
superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps,
and such members of the Medical Reserve
Corps rs DR.. F. W. Martin. Dr. Victor G.
Vaughan and DIR. W. j. Mayo, are all
warm supporters OF the bill.
Mrs. Helen Hoy Greeley of the New =
York bar Is in Washington arranging 4
hearing on the bill in the near future be