Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1919-10-23
NURSING SERVICE
OF RED CROSS IS
IMPORTANT ITEM
Viii Extend Work to Every Com
nannity in Effort TO Better
Health Conditions.
WILL USE CHAPTER FUNDS
Only Qualified Public Health
Nurses Will be Appointed
to Positions.


During the last quarter of a cen
tury nursing service has come tf
mold a place in the front ranks o
professions Old prejudices against
II because Of imagined hardshiDs and
temptations are things of the mast.
The idea that it is life of drudgery
ana servil1ty has been completely de.
stroyed by the service of nurses in the
war and the recognition which has
been given this service They have
HIted woman hood on the rising crest
OF their acMevements. There is to-
day no profession for women which
commands greater respect or bring.
with 1t more complete sense of
achievement
The nursing service established NV
the American Red Cross is destined
TO become one of the most fmportant
departments of the organization
rive hundred thousand lives lost in
one year through the influenza epi
oehlc' oOO,0OO men rejected from
service to their country because of
pnyslcal defects; three out of every
ten babies born lost each year through
lack of care. These are but few q.
the many health conditions prevent
able through the service of PubIicl
deaith Nurse, which the Red eros
IS striving to place in every commun
ity in the country.
interest in public health nursing Isl
widespread throughout the country
and many agencies, Federal and State
public and private, are engaged in de-
veloping various branches of this
work For the most part these eff
forts have been confined to the cities
and many of the small towns vii
lagos and country places have not vet
secured the advantages of a nursing
service.
To Help Rural Districts.
The Red Cross, as one of It's peace
time activities. is seeking to assist in
the development of community nurs
Ing In the rural districts and small
towns through the Chapters and
through afhIfatfon with other public
health nursing organizations In need
OF It's advice and interest. This work
Is purposelys restricted to rural dis
tr1cts or to towns having a popula
ton of approximately not more than
10000. and is carried on al
over the United States 1t is con
Quoted by the Bureau of Public Health
Nursing which is a bureau of the De-
partment of Nursing of the American
Red Cross
In every community there are peo
pie who are i'll with acute or chronic
diseases who cannot afford or do not
need, or cannot get a resident nurse
but who require some professional
nursing care in addition to the atten
ton of the family
Among these are some with chronic
heart disease certain fncurabIe
maladfes; others injured in accidents
who may have been In bed TO,
months; men and women i'll with tv
phoid and little children with pneu
monla; and many maternity cases
The community nurse is needed td
care for these patients The fact
that many who can afford it go to
hospitals helps to lessen the burden
OF nursing in the home, but the great
bulk OF nursing throughout the coun
try. especially in small towns. and
rural communities, falls upon nm
trained members of households where
there is sickness
The National Red Cross is anxious
to promote this work In small towns
and IN the country through Red eros.
Chapters, and has authorized the use
Of Chapter funds for this purpose
The work may. therefore. be started
by the Red Cross Chapter. Ere
ouently a nursing service is main
tanned at public expense by the
County Supervisors. Board of Health
Board of Education or Town Council
A group OF interested citizens often
organize visiting nurse assocfa-
ton
When this work is. carried on by a
Red Cross Chapter. or by public
health nursing organization which
afhliates with the American Red
Cross, certain advantages are secured.
The Red Cross appoints only quail
ned public health nurse to MI the
position.