Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-18
NURSING WORK CALLS
ALL AMERICAN WOMEN
Unframed Girls Urgently
Needed, With Lack of War
Nurses Already Felt
PLAN GRE A T DRIVE
"No Time for Dabbling," Declares
Pennsylvania Red Cross
Chief

The nationwide campaign to enroli
trained nurses for army and navy work
will not be drive on the professional
women alone. IL will be an urgent
summons to all American women to take
up hospital training seriously.
Campaign preparations were under
way today for the drive. The Pennsyl-
vania quota which must swell the
total of 5000 nurses before the first of
June. has not yet been determined. TINS
call, which Is only the first of many
that will be issued. has started active
preparations to enroll nurses to meet
the demands of Surgeon General Cor
gas and TO enlist recruits to go into
hospital training at Red Cross head
quarters for southeastern Pennsylvania.
! "This is no time for dabbing, no time
| to take up short courses in first aid and
/ nurses aid work II IL time when
| every able-bodied American woman
| should put her energies to real work" p"
Miss Susan Francis. director of the
nursing division of the Pennsylvania dl-
vision of the American Red Cross, said
| today
There Is no greater patriotic duty a
woman can perform than to train for a
nurse If our women do not go into
this work either our soldiers will suffer
from insufficient hospital care or our
home people will be denied professional
attendance, The soldiers must be de-
MED nothing that we can give them. and
the morale of our home army must not
be impaired by this circumstance.
THE nursing profession offers won
derful opportunities for women" con-
tinued Miss Francis. at IL an educa-
tion rendered women at no expense. and
which offers splendid chance for ad-
/ t-ap This &c x.yha
they need officers. not privates. We
really cannot get enough nurses to fill
the demands.
Regardless of social status or finan.
cial standing. this should be a great
patriotic movement on the part OF girls
and women, for IT Is giving double serv-
ice to the country. While filling the
, gaps at home, the women are preparing
for military duty. In the civilian hos
pitfalls the lack is being felt even now
/ and enormous numbers of studen
nurses are needed. The girl with a col
, lege education can complete the cours
. In two years, but the regular period |
. three years. However, if the war shou
t end before that time. 1t is not compul
: sory to continue with the training an
n more than at any school. In the NEAR
O time these women would have filled tn
gaps
I'm the rebuilding work after the wa
there will be a great need for nurse
Social-service work also will offer
field. and we hope that many of II
c women will contin-o with their nurse
, training even should the immediate d,
!, mand be supplied. Aside from the nun
ber Of nurses needed for actual duty
b France there must be considered tt
great reserve force TO relieve ther
D | Nurses well gnldi q
under the trying duty at the front ar
period of rest and recuperation wi
u be required by each nurse every 81
months, Already nearly 5000 nurses al
/, on active duty with the army and nav
and before the close of the year Il
|, army alone will call for about $500
II more"