The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-02

Obliged to Sleep in Patients
Ward for Lack Of Room
IN Hospital.
By GEORGE FRANKLIN.


Dormitory quarters for thirty
or more nurses Of the eighty-four
in training at the Garfield Me-
mortal Hospital are needed. At
present these nurses are quartered
in patients ward at the institu-
ton. This cuts down the number
of beds otherwise available for
the use Of patients requiring hos
pital treatment.
It is situation forced on the
hospital management through the
growth of the nurses training
school and the required presence
Of q larger staff of graduate
nurses in caring for the ever in
creasing number of patients re-
ceived at the hospital.
This situation was emphasized
by hospital authorities today when
discussing the approaching drive
to secure 100000 required for
hospital development.
All Space Used Up.
According to information given out
at the hospital. the proposed
need at the institution. At present
all available space which by any
method can be converted into
nurses quarters is utilized. For
many years nurses quarters were
provided in the administration build
ing. Within the past few years,
however, hospital reports show that
the growth Of the institution and
the development OF the nurses
training school forced the manage.
ment to provide additional quarters
for resident and student nurses
with the result that even an old
attic was taken over and con.
verted into a dormitory, while
other nurses deprived Of quarters
in the hospital proper were pro.
vided with rooms in two old resi-
dences bought by the hospital and
in smaller house rented by the
institution. The ward taken over
for the accommodation of the
nurses is in the Willard building.
It contains thirty beds.
While releasing of the ward for
the treatment Of patients through
the erection Of the proposed nurses
home Will not meet the require
Inents of the hospital for additional
patient accommodations, it will do
much toward attaining that end.
Thirty additional patients beds, it
Is estimated, will make it possible
to treat approximately 700 more
patients annually than can be taken
care of at present.
In the half-million dollar drive,
starting January IL. it is planned
to provide a building fund for the
erection not only of the proposed
nurses home, but also for the ad-
dition of seventy-five private rooms
to those now available at the in
stitution. These rooms, it is said,
will occupy space in a new central
building. A greater number of
such rooms, hospital authorities
say, could be used to advantage.
During the winter months the re-
as five patients a day are turned
away owing to the inability of the
hospital to provide Quarters for
their care. It frequently happens.
1t is stated, that patients requiring
surgical operations are Quartered in
the general wards, as the private
rooms are practically filled all OF
the time.
Wing Additions Poor Policy.
Proposals to save the cost Of a
new central building by making adj
ditions to the present administration
building are declared by hospital au-
thorities to be impracticable. The
administration building, it is pointed
out, was built years ago. When erect
ed no provision was made in laying
the foundations for the addition of
superstructures. 1t has also been
through inspections
made by architects and engineers,
that wing additions cannot be con-
structed which will provide space
for the needed seventy-five addi-
tional private rooms. All of these
were carefully consid-
cred before it was decided to erect
a new central building. In the con-
struction of the latter the plans as
outlined call for the utilization OF
such parts of the present building
as can be incorporated with eco
nomic advantage.
Location of the nurses home has
been decided upon by the hospital
The site selected is
above the Willard building on Elev-
enth street. The site is owned by
the hospital so all Of the money
to the erection of the
building to house the nurses will be
spent In construction work. As