Great Falls tribune., 1921-03-07
The HaSki,l Letter 3 sf1Rsss1 Rs:2~
NURSES WANTED.

In one hospital mere, an unuSeu "a.u
is fitted up as dormitory Tor tne
pupils. In another school the STU
dents live in houses across the sireet
from the hospital, four or five girls IN
a room. The desirable standard 1cr
nurses quarters is comfortaoie resi-
dence, well lighted and heated and sep
arate from the hospital, with single
rooms for the students.
Hospitals are having to meet 'hlgner
standards because they can no longer
overlook the fact that young women
are more cautious about starting upon
a career now than they once were. NO
girl who enters q hospital with any
understanding of the work expects TO
have an easy time, but she does expect
and demand a broad course OF training
under livable conditions
Girl Has Many Chances.
There are so many other vocations
open to the high school girl graduate
now that she no longer takes up nurs.
ing as the alternative Of a life Of
teaching school. That is the main
reason why the army Of nurses has
dwindled. Business, law and other
professions are offering big rewards,
while the hospitals have gone on COM
placently thinking that the great OPP
portunity for service through nursing
would continue as sure an attraction
as ever.
Most women who take up nursing as
q profession are impressed by the pos
sibilities of the work, but nowadays
a girl who is interested in this kind
of social service is generally interested
enough to find out exactly what she
win get by her course Of training. For
instance, there are fewer girls entering
those hospitals, sanatoria and private
hospitals that are not able to register
their graduates. Not to be registered
in the state means that the graduate
with her two or three years of train
ing cannot become a member of the
Red Cross nursing association, an
army or navy nurse, nor would she
be admitted as a staff nurse in most
hospitals Of recognized standing.
Training school standards are ris-
ing and so are the standards for
nurses. At one time girls just out of
hospitals admitted as probationers.
The tendency now is to demand high
school diploma and to make the nurses
training approximate a college or nor
NAL school course with b. S. de-
gree. Over 20 colleges now maintain
schools of nursing, usually giving five
year course. The army also has an
excellent training school where
three year course is given.
Nurses-really trained nurses-are
going to be needed in ever-increasing
numbers as We aim at higher standards
of health and sanitation. Right now,
more public health nurses are needed
for child welfare, work, visiting nurse
associations. and medical social service
departments. Graduate nurses for
permanent hospital staffs are scarce
one reason why the student nurse has
had less time for study during her
hospital training. The army is con
ducting its own campaign for more
students. Nurses for home duty and
for missionary work are also scarce.
And vet these branches offer a more
varied or a more highly specialized
career than nurses have ever been off
cred before.
The nurses associations have orga-
nized their campaign on remarkably
systematic basis. Red Cross chapters,
women's clubs, boards of education,
and other local organizations are told
each campaign. And from that point
speeches. literature and moving pic
lures until the town or state gets the
recruits needed.
Recruiting may continue for
months, even years." says Major Julia
Stimson, superintendent of the Army
nurse corps, who is chairman on the
national recruiting committee. The
drive has just begun. but the outlook
is hopeful because already the states
are getting recruits, and people are
beginning really to understand how
important the trained nurse is-and
how many of her kind are needed"