Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-30
WOMEN ARE NEEDED
AS PUBLIC NURSES
Those Unable to Go to War Zone
Will Be Employed in
America.
ALL MUST BE GRADUATES
Determined Efforts Made to Pre-
vent Spread of Danger
Gus Diseases.

WASH1NGTON. June cat IS the
woman with the very hest nursing
training who Is being used In the pub
lie health nursing field to-day. accord
ing TO Miss Helen Boyd. secretary OF
the war program committee of the
National Organization for Public
Health Nursing. Gl5 Nineteenth Street.
n. w
THE demand has been great for
graduate nurses TO serve in the army
and navy. and there are many who
through family ties or some physical
disability. cannot leave for foreign
duty. 1t Is these nurses who must con-
slider taking graduate work in public
health courses in order TO qualify
themselves for the responsible duties
OF the public health nursing field. The
battle TO keep up the highest standard
Of public health is not TO be relaxed
for one moment" says Miss Boyd
There must be trained women who
can teach the tuberculosis patient how
to prevent the spread OF disease. who
can teach the members OF family
how to protect themselves from it. In
the cantonmcnt zones are working
public health nurses whose princl pal
duty ia TO prevent the spread Of con-
tagious diseases. such as measles.
Malnutrition of children from i'm =
proper feeding IL always a menace. Il;
can be counte7acted largely by tho
public health nurse who enters the
home and teaches the mother the
proper diets for her child. using the
utensils and materials at hand.
PLAN FOE CARE Of
MANY FACTORY WORKERS
The industrial nursing which
means the care OF the workers in their
homes we'll as in the factory. is
growing TO he OF more and more I'm
portancc. In the large factories where
nurses are employed. II is felt that Il
better understanding exists between
the employer and the employee. and
that the interests OF each are better
cared for. In Connecticut alone there
are ninety-ninc nurses doing this work.
More are needed. more women who. be-
sides their training In a hospital. have
experience in social nursing and have
the interest OF both the employer and
the employee AT heart.
we are relying more and more upon
'ac Nurse in the infant welfare station
Viii not die and the infant mortality
rate Will somewhat nearly approach
tina, OF enlightened New Zealand.
where less than one-half many
babies die as are dying every year In
tic United States.
Since tie draft i; has been found
that many men arc physically UNIT for
military service from defects which
could easily have been rectihed during
their school years. For this reason
we need more and more school nurses
for our children. In the cities and the
country the visiting nurse who cares
for the SICK patient in her home. not
staying fui! time. as III the case OF
the rlivate nurse, but spending only
the time that is necessary FOR the in
dividuai treatment, should DC more and
more utilized. BY thus rcieas sing the
private nurse, The public Will be doing
great rat' otic duty. increasing in
this way enrolment for the army and
navy.
MARRIED. WOMEN WILL
III; GIVEN OPPORTUNITY
There is = great opportunity for the
married rurse Ia this ned for it is
possible i'll Iubiic health nursing so
10 arrange tbs work that :, qualified
woman can give half time or even a
few hours time a day to the nursing
work.
The National Organization for
Publi. Health Nursing is in the field
t. keep UP the standard of public
health nursing and to disseminate
educational material on this special
work. 1t also directs applicants in
their efforts to obtain training in this
work. 1t helps TO procure expert
enced persons to take charge of COM
murity nursing"
Miss Boyd explains the tremend Gus
field open to public health nurses
"Nurscc are working throughout the
whole country to reduce the death
rate among babies and to educate
mothers to more hygienic care of their
Children she says They are work
ing TO reduce blindness. by teaching
them how to care for the babies eyes.
In the industrial field they are accom-
plish'ng an amount OF work SO great
it cannot yet be gagged. in keeping
the workers of this important line of
defense strong and we'll so that they
can maintain the highest rate of cf-