The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-16
SITUATION AS TO
NURSING SERIOUS
Conditions Stated in ResOlu-
tons to County
Red Cross
GREAT REDUCTION
OF FORMER FORCE
About so Per Cent Withdrawn Because
of War Conditions-Ca of Sickness
Forced to Go Without Adequate As
sistance.

OF war COlulClOlS-SdSSSo VI kolChucoo
Forced to Go Without Adequate AS
sistance.
The seriousness of the local nursing
situation is pointed out in resolutions
which have been presented to the Wind |
ham county chapter of the Red Cross, |
urging that organization to make the
solution of this problem one of its official
functions and asking that it appoint a
special committee to deal with the ques-
ton. The resolutions are signed by DR.. |
A. |. Miller and DIR. G. r. Anderson rep |
resenting the physicians, Miss Mary I.
Shields representing the nurses of the
Memorial hospital, Miss Carolyn Fandel
representing the Mutual Aid nurses Mrs.
+. W. Gibson and Miss Florence NJ. II.
Wells representing the home service To-
cal committee of the Red Cross Mrs. II
c. Rice and Miss Mary r. Cabot repre-
senting the Mutual Aid association, and
f. L. Hildreth representing the board OF
directors of the Memorial hospital
/ They are as follows:
We. the undersigned, a committee APP
/ pointed to consider and deal with the
care of the sick in the coming winter
/ with view to the existing shortage OF
I nurses, hereby respectfully represent to
+ the Red Cross chapter of Windham coun
+ ty. that about 60 per cent of our for
mer nursing force has been withdrawn
4 from service because of war conditions
That already very serious cases OF
4 sickness have been forced to go without
the assistance of nurses of any training
or experience whatever and that our call
agencies are already at times without
anyone to send where help in sickness
is needed;
That under such circumstances it will
be impossible in the winter months when
sickness increases and road tranSporta-
ton BY motor Is cut off to give the help
that will BE needed to the families of
our soldiers and sailors, or 10 our farm
ing and industrial population: and with
out some remedy great hardship and
probable loss of life IS inevitable
II We respectfully represent that thIS
condition cannot be remedied unless the
fact is recognized publicly that the con
seryation and maintenance of our nurS
ing force at home in order that our
former nurses may supply the war, Is
iust as necessary part of war service
a. i the conservation and maintenance
of our food and fuel at home in order
chat We may meet the requirements Of
the war Of those materials.
We beg to represent to the American
Red Cross, through its local chapter
that this great body into whose hands
the resources Of the country have been
: poured for the care and help of the sick
and helpless is the body Of all others to
: whom the public has been and is look
ing for leadership and help in this mat
Z ter and that the failure of the Red Gross
: either TO take adequate action or to re
: fer this responsibility elsewhere would
necessarily have the most serious con.
: sequences, and would be regarded as q
5 breach Of trust
5 We therefore ask the WiSham count,
e chapter of the Red Cross to obtain au
! thority to appoint committee of per
G sons interested in and qualified for deal
/ ing with the prevention and care of sick
: ness to assist the local organization o.
t the county for the following purposes:
e l. To make personal appeal to patri
: otto women to take the training nov
d offered by the Thompson training schoo
f in Brattleboro for nurses assistants
under the conditions specified for tina
training to qualify themselves for serv
ice TO the sick during the war.
,. To appeal both publicly and indi
9 vidually TO the retired graduate nurse
Of the district to hold themselves read,
for definite times and periods to answe
. emergency calls for service.
- ,. To induce non graduate nurses VIII
fn rntl fn work a
= the local public health nurses.
!, A. To secure pledges from non grad
y uatc workers to answer calls at defnit
!" times and for definite periods and to oil
:. tain for them the necessary instructio
!. and supervision.
u ;. To promote local call stations fo
receiving calls for help in sickness an
= to make public appeals so that Il
4 sense of neighborhood responsibility f.
the care of the sick may be revived
\ that neghborhood help may be avail
\ able and that knowledge of cases
1 sickness NAV be obtained i'll time
render adequate help.
6. To offer help to the above ends
far as possible to neighboring districts.
Z. To assist if necessary the renal
ing physicians and surgeons of the di
trict in CARRYING the additional burd,
thrown upon them by helping if requir
in arranging for the further concentr
ton of patients and in other ways,
4 We are aware that the national W
! organizations feel it impossible or IL
desirable to undertake detailed loo
work for the sick or the primary respo
sibility for much of their care. and it
not this that we ask of the Red Gro
beyond what they feel able to give
Ill This work for the sick however ca
not be done without workers and
ask the Red Cross in order that t
& necessary service may be secured,
make a public appeal for patriotic wol
! ems service in sickness for the civil
population in this war emergency. tn
appeal can best be made by the r
III Cross and cannot be made with eff,
by any private agency.
We believe that this appeal can
made and that the necessary help can
secured by the appointment of a r
. Cross committee as above requested.