The Washington times., 1920-05-27
SHORTAGEOF
NURSES ACUTE
Hospitals Face Serious Sltua-
tion-0ne Limits Number
OF Patients.

Washington hospitals face an acute
shortage OF nurses as result OF the
war, and are about to take steps 10
limit the number OF patients, a sur,
vey OF the institutions by Ilmes
reporter revealed today.
Superintendents report their instl-
tutions have not ope-third. or even
one-half. enough nurses TO care Tor
the patients. They are meeting the
situation in various ways. a pian
of one hospital Is TO request the pa
tient whenever possible TO bring MS
or her nurse with him. Another nos
pital ia actually limiting the number
OF patients. Other superintendents
have solved the problem Temporarily
by requiring overtime service from
the nursing corps.
That young girls are deserving the
profession of nursing, and did during
tbe war. for the higher pay of cleri-
cal positions, is given as the reason
for the present depletion OF the nurs-
ing corps in the hospitals.
The shortage Is confined TO pupil
nurses. They perform the duties OF
bathing and feeding the SICK admin
istering to their wants and supervis.
ing the floors. Within six months
time the graduate nurses VIII leave
the institutions and there will be no
pupil nurses to take their places 1t
was said.
Statements From Hospital Heads.
The superintendent OF Emergency
Hospital said: 1--WE need at least
fifeten pupil nurses to perform the
duties OF administering to the SICK
and to take the places of the graduate
nurses within six months. 1 have
adopted the plan of requesting pa
tients TO bring their own nurses with
them whenever possible. The hospital
situation is worse today perhaps than
IL ever was before"
The superintendent OF nurses OF
Casualty Hospital said: "We need
about twenty-five pupil nurses. we
have not one-fourth enough nurses at
present. Already we are limiting the
number OF patients on account OF the
lack of pupil nurses.
The superintendent OF nurses OF
Columbia Hospital for women said:
sour institution needs fifteen addi-
tional nurses. All of our graduate
nurses are working overtime TO care
for all the patinets. or course, the
situation is abnormal; nurses will not
always have to do this"
Sister Slavia, superintendent OF
Providence Hospital, said: I'VE need
twenty pupil nurses. We are COM
PEELED to have our nursing staff work
overtime. believe the labor unrest
has reached the hospitals. The duties
of a nurse are so hard that young
girls do not care to take them up
any more. They are seeking profess
sions that offer more pay for lighter
work, and forgetting the beauties Of
the vocation of nursing"
q. U. Hospital is Short.
Sister Bertrand. superintendent Of
nurses of Georgetown University
Hospital and Sister Superior of the
house, said: 1--WE need fifteen more
nurses. If we do not have pupil
nurses to take the places of the grad
yates within six months, we shall
be Obliged to limit the number of
patients"
While George Washington Uni
versity has sufficient graduate nurses,
it would welcome some pupil nurses,
it was said.
The shortage of nurses affects the
Red Cross, Miss Mabel T. Boardman,
secretary. stated. The organization
needs nurses for civilian relief and
for public health service. At the
Florence Nightingale celebration held
recently to recruit nurses, and in
which 1000 persons filled the audi
torium of Central High School, not
one nurse was recruited.