New-York tribune., 1918-06-09

Public Civilian Staffs
Already Overworked
as Ranks Go Over to
the Colors

Despite the vital need of the army
and navy for nurses, civilians at home
VIII not be deprived Of anv nurses
necessary to maintaining the public
health. With the opening of the cam
paign to persuade $4,000 nurses to en-
hst IN the United States service the
American Red Cross made public 6p-
ures which will effectually still anv
PUBIC fear on this score. There arc
'0'ooo registered nurses in this coun-
''y' FROM this number 10 per cent
must DC deducted for disability. This
proportion, it is acknowledged, will not
De equal to military service The
leaves approximately $4,000 nurses
qualIf'ed to enlist. There are in add;-
'lof' l''oo0 graduate nurses who are not
registered, but subject to the same SUBJ
traction for disability. Thus of the
total graduate trained nurses in this
country practically 100000 are qualified
to enlist.
In addition to graduate trained
nurses there are probably more than
! 900 practical nurses or attendants
who are fitted for nursing work. The
census of 1910 showed that there were
l2o,833 so employed at the time. This
number has probably increased. How
great a proportion Of this number can
be made available for military mr.
poses is hard to determine, but GER
tainly large per cent can assist ma-
terially to relieve the nursing situation
at home.
Call for $4,000
For Military Use
I'm the meantime training schools in
this country this year are graduating
! 1o'ooo new nurses, and since our en-
trance into the war in 1917 enrolment
IN nurses training schools has in
creased rs per cent Next years grad
uating classes will be much larger than
those of this year, and after that this
country will be releasing yearly for
service about $4,000 nurses every
twelve months.
"The call from Surgeon General
Gorgas, of the United States Army and
Admiral Braisted, of the navy, is for
zo,ooO nurses to look after our wound
ed and sick soldiers and sailors. With
this number enlisted there will be- left
to look after civilian health in this
/ country approximately 10000 graduate
trained nurses. Of this number 10 per
cent, or 5000, are not equal to mill
tary service; but this does not mean
that they are unequal to civilian
nursing.
"In addition to this number there will
be in another month 1900 nurses lust
graduated, or in all 100000 trained
nurses subject to civilian call in addi-
tion to the $4,000 or more who have
had more or less complete nursing ex-
perience."
The day has passed when wealthy
families should feel themselves justi-
fed in employing from one to three
trained nurses. Mothers can help the
cause by releasing from their employ
nurses whose household duties are not
concerned with watching over the all
ments of their charges, but merely
with the Offices that could be as we'll
performed by any other reliable
woman, If necessary a practical nurse.
How many old ladies and wealthy
spinsters enjoying the best Of health
will heed the call of patriotism and
relinquish their favorite companion to
the needs Of the day?
Another valuable source from which
recruits may be drawn is the retired
nurse. They can do their bit by en-
rolling with the Red Cross as "home
defence" nurses, while the married
nurse can perform a service by making
herself help to the people of her
community.
Meanwhile still another available
source is reported as remaining un-
tapped--the five or six hundred colored
nurses that have not been called to
active service.