Evening star., 1928-03-25
NURSING SOCIETY
NEEDSSET FORTH
Annual Report of |. v. N. S
Details Work of Welfare
Institution.

Past accomplishments and future
needs of the Instructive Visiting Nurse
Society of Washington, foremost among
local public health nursing agencies
are set forth in the annual report OF
the society for 1927 which has just been
issued and which shows the develop
nient OF the organizations community
health work in several directions.
Chief among the achievements were
the extension throughout the II months
OF the Society's hourly or appointment
service, which is a pay service specially
arranged for such as can well afford
but do not need full-time nurse. the
establishment Of q free delivery service
for mothers in addition to the usual
pay service, inStigated by realization
OF the Still high local maternal death
rate and the gift by Mrs. John w
Davidge OF the full annual salary Of a
graduate nurse. Mrs. Davidge. who is
q member of the board Of managers of
the organization, made this gift as a
memorial 70 her father. the late John
W. Weeks, Secretary Of War and former
Senator from Massachusetts,.
Principal Needs of Society.
The four principal needs of the So
ciety set forth by Miss Gertrude H.
Bowling. its director, are; Additional
nurses for general and hourly service
further development of mental hygiene
facilities, including the training of such
personnel as show an aptitude for this
work; further development of the oTtho-
pedic service and the establishment Of
q new nursing center in AnacoStia. to-
gefheT with the procurement OF an ad-
ditional automobile for use in that scat
tered section.
The IS members Of the nursing staff
made in 1927 an average of nine nurs-
ing visits day. The total number of
patients cared for was 1876. as COM
pared with 1873 in 1926. The total
number Of visits made was l02,I2i. as
compared with 97,ll2 in 1926. Forty
five per cent of all visits were free.
Twenty-four per cent Of the patients
were children under year of age and
IS per cent were children under Is.
OF the total number of patients visited
81 per cent were white, while analysis
oy sex shows that y per cent were
female
The years expenditures. as shown
by the report Of the treasurer. Joshua
Evans. jr-. were SI04, 4,772.23.
The J. V. n. S. is supported from six
different sources: ID Voluntary con-
tTibutions ranging from 81 I'D a wear,
~ paving patients, 80 fees from con-
tract work with insurance companies
who pay for nursing care to their in
custrlal or group policy holders. t4l in
c1strial organizations paying the SAL
aTy OF 8 nurse for the use of their en-
ployes and their families. (5l civic
clubs. churches. etc. who contribute
toward the salary OF q nurse for the
health vork os the community and
t6l donated nurses salaries.
Receipts During Year.
The salary of a staf nurse Is 81 500
the society received during the wear
1927 from donations toward nurses
salaries, more than $4,000. Two of
these salaries are permanently endowed
and nine are given as memorials.
The Instructive Visiting Nurse So-
ciety las its main once at 436 star
Building and three branch Offices. one
N Georgetown, one In Brightwood and
ore IN Southeast Washington. II has
I've Ford sedan cars for the transporta-
ton O. nurses As before stated. IL
has urgent need OF at least one more
motor car and could well utilize several
more such gifts.