The Washington herald., 1921-01-31
Hospital Survey Reveals
r Serious Nurse Shortage
Seven of Nine Institutions Are Shorthanded
Menace to Health Seen in Aftermath of
Accidental Poisoning Case.

patients. twelve hours duty ex-
pected of graduate nurses is mon>
otonous." sh said, but the patient,
when convalescent. usually arranGes
easier hours for the nurse" Nurses
at Garfield when in training do not
have more than an eight hour day
Another trained nurse at CoIum-
bia Hospital said: There is a
shortage of nurses at this hospital
and l believe there is shortage
throughout the city. We are now
fifteen to % nurses shy, and have
only forty-one on our rolls at pres
cnt. The trouble i sthat girls are
finding that they can equip them
selves for good business positions
in about a year while it takes from
three to four years of hard work
and study to qualify as a graduate
nurse.
At Emergency Hospital the head
of the nursing school said there
were at present no vacancies on the
nursing staff, and that the training
school was filled with promising
talent. Anoth,r employc of the
hospital, however, alleged that the
shortage of EuIEes in other hospl-
ldiS was lIht"ISS ltll at Elmer .
Ecncy.
Georgetown hospitals superin-
tendent reported conditions similar
to those at Emergency.
Unattractive Life Described.
TT is no surprise to me that
there is shortage of student
nurses" said a noted Red Cross
nurse last night. who for private
reasons declined to permit the use
Of her name.
There is nothing attractive about
the position under present condi-
tions. With little or no pay for
three years-all they get is $40 or
SIS a month-with living conditions
not up to the standard and with
In some cases poor educational IA
cilities from the standpoint OF in
structeresses, it is no wonder that
the profession does not appeal to
young girls.
81 saw with my own eyes. last
winter. nurse who was taking
care OF forty-fve patients in one
| ward. Again. I know OF case
where there is only one bath room
for twenty nurses. There are two
hospitals in the city which arc liza
BILE to be dropped by the nursing
board of examiners because there
their nursing department is not kept
up to the standard"
At the recent meeting of the dis
aster preparedness committee OF the
District of Columbia Red Cross
Chapter it was shown that there
were about 200 Red Cross nurses
enrolled in this city for emergency
duty. All are rmpioSed either as
private nurses or with the Red
Cross or in some other organization
having nurses on duty.
These Red Cross nurses it is said
on excellent authority. cannot be
called out by the Red Cross to fiji
up shortages existing in local hos
pitfalls because the Fed Cross could
not under its charter interpret the
shortage as a disaster or an acute
! emergency.
The sole remedy for the condition
lies, says the nurse quoted above,
in giving the students more pay.
better living accommodations and
adequate educational training.
Health OHBcer Aware of situation.
Information also was sought at
the office of DR.. W. c. Fowler, Dis
trict Health Officer. who, however. is
not concerned with such matters.
DR.. Fowler last night declared
thought that the nurse shortage in
Washington had many times been
brought to his attention in his pri-
vate capacity as a physician. The
lack of student nurses here is but a
reflection of a nationwide condi-
ton, is his belief.
The Herald also interrogated a
number of leading physicians in the
city as to their information and
opinion in this matter of safeguard
ing the public health. Their views,
in brief. follow:
DR.. Charles Stanley White: Con
ditions in Washington were serious
due to the extreme scarcity Of
nurses. When the influenza epidemic
came along it found us woefully
unprepared. Should there be another
epidemic we would be forced to rely
upon the American Red Cross and
upon such volunteer nurses as we
might get together"
DR. George TullY Vaughn: Nurses
are no sCarCer now than they al
ways diC' IHeIe is always snort
age"
DR. c. n. Shipman: There is no
shortage of nurses but there is a
shortage of hospitals. At present
Washington hospitals are turning
away girls anxious to apply for
training. OF all the hospitals
George Washington should not be
short with sixty-fve nurses. They
seldom handle more than eighty pa
tients in given day. while their
capacity is 110. There is a great
shortage of private hospital rooms.
am sure that in the entire city the
number does notexceed 500"
DIR. Atkinson Finds Scarcity.
"Dr. Wade H. Atkinson: There
is a great shortage of nurses in