Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-23
NURSING BOARD
DOES BIC WORK
East Moline Service As An Infant
Organization Accompanies
Much in 1918.

With the East Moline commun-
ity nursing service practically IN
it's infancy, work that it accom-
plished during the year OF 1918 IS
remarkable. The organization has
shown a rapid growth 10 the two
years it has been in existence. The
increased development ana growth
of East Moline has had q marked
effect upon the nursing service.
The source of calls as well as the
additional new families and the
many Office conferences indicate
the continued need of the service.
The greatest results have been
in the bedside care and instruction
of heads of families in the care OF
the sick as well as how to make
home conditions conducive to the
best results in keeping well.
In the past it has not been
deemed wise for one or two nurses
working alone to care for cOnta-
gious cases owing to the possibility
of spreading the infection. 1t has
been demonstrated very sat-sfac-
torily in the last few years by the
larger health centers that it can be
done without further spread of the
disease. One nurse cares for all
cases in her district, contagious
and otherwise. The same was done
in East Moline and families suffer
ing from contagion received the
benefits of the service without
further spread of the disease.
The calls upon the service still
remain varied: there are sick
calls. calls for investigation, con-
su.taton. relief. obtaining hospital
care for those needing such care.
transferring Of patients to and
from hospitals, clinics and doc
tors offices, smoothing troubled
marital waters, persuadlng land
lords to provide sanitary living
quarters for their tenants; the
board of health to clean alleys.
and to persuade families whose
surroundings and methods of liv-
ing are not in keeping with their
neighbors, to clean up.
The weighing and measuring OF
all children under six years OF
age, conducted under the super
vision of the woman's committee
of the council of national defense
at the request of the cniId's well
fare bureau, required many after
Moons of work during the summer
months. Seven hundred seventy
six of the 1900 children in this
community were weighed and
measured
Since the beginning OF the ser
vice there has been one problem
confronting the service board. The
system of fees has confused both
patients and nurses. The various
nursing organizations have proven
in past experiences that the work
based wholly upon a free service
is detrimental to all in5ents and
purposes of its existence and had
as result established a system of
fees. 1t is not a service for the
strictly poor, but for those need
ing nursing care who do not need.
or cannot afford, the services of a
full time nurse. Many patients do
not want the services unless they
can pay for the same; others make
unreasonable demands upon it be
cause it is free service, resulting
unsatisfactory for future service
1t is probable that as a result of
the MISUNDERSTANDING a system of
pay and free service will be map
ped out
Miss Anna NJ. Richardson of
Chicago was added to the nursing
staff in February last, and has
given most faithfully of her efic-
lent services since that time.