Evening star., 1939-03-05
Leave Office Cares at Office,
Nursing Director Advises
EorIy-Morning Light
Better Thon Midnight
Oil, She Finds
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
Mrs. Josephine Pitman Prescott,
director of the Bureau Of Public
Health Nursing Of the District
Health Department. practices, in her
own scheme of life, the health slo-
gans which she and her aides
preach to others, and looks it.
Slender, vital, youthful looking,
and In the pink of physical condi-
ton herself, this exper- specialist
in her field, who has jurisdiction
over the staff of 80 nurses, public
health, makes practice of walk
ing to her office in room II of the
District Building every morning.
From her home at 1000 Connecti-
cut avenue, this takes 40 minutes,
although she is a brisk walker. But,
as the result Of her relaxed after
hours program from her job, get
ting up early enough to get this
exercise in without rushing is no
particular feat for Mrs. Prescott.
"The function of public health
nurses in Washington's Health De-
partment is" was told, primarily
to instruct patients and their fami-
lies In good hygienic conduct" Their
hours are from 8:45 am. until AIS
pm, with one-half hour off from
lunch, and their range of territory
is the entire District. without re-
gard to race. color or creed.
They reach their various assign
ments on foot, or by the use of
street cars or buses. Motor trans
portation, except at their own ex-
pense. is not available to them in
making their calls. no matter in
what outlying districts their er-
rands Of mercy may call them.
10000 Calls in Year.
During the calendar year Of 1898
the nurses from the Bureau of Pub
lie Nursing in Washington's Health
Department made some 76,679 visits
to patients and their families where
the need was greatest. OF this
number. 39,134 were paid to as
many homes, where specific instruc-
ton was given as to essential health
habits and the proper carrying out
of physicians instructions. The
other 37,545 visits were In the ma
ture of follow-up conferences with
patients In the public and parochial
schools of the District, and its
health clinics.
The Health Department., Mrs.
Prescott emphasizes, maintains six
of1lces in our Capital City, where
special public health facilities are
available. Two are in our public
schools, one at the Gage and the
other at the Abbot Vocational. An
other is located in Georgetown at
police precinct number Z. Three
others are child welfare stations
housed with the Health Department
itself.
The public health nurses con-
nected with Washington's Health
Department perform an invaluable
service in the followup of patients
registered with the tuberculosis, So
cial hygiene and material and child
welfare clinics conducted by the
public health physicians Of the Dis
trict. They also assist with many
Of the over 100000 routine examina-
tions which are yearly given by the
medical inspectors to the school
children Of this city. They also en-
deavor to work with the parents Of
all children who are found to have
serious defects at the time Of these
examinations.
"The influence of the public health
nurses of the Health Department
In encouraging the mothers Of
washington voluntarily to seek
smallpox vaccination and inocula-
ton against diphtheria for their
children has been Of inestimable
value to the community At large" !"
Mrs. Prescott says.
No Overlapping Of Service.
Especially effective likewise" Mrs.
Prescott told me, rs their cooper
alton with all of the other social
and health agencies in the city for
the avoidance of economic and So
Geological adjustment difficulties. 1"
For instance, the work Of the public
health nurse Of the Health Depart
ment and those Of the Instructive
Visiting Nurse Society is 50 pro-
grammed that there Is no over
tapping of service or duplication be-
tween the tax-supported group on
the one hand and the community
supported on the other. Rather Is
there complete dovetailing for the
greatest possible good to the COM
munity at large. with the public
health nurses of the Health Depart
ment specializing in public health
instruction and those Of the Visiting
Nurse Society In bedside care.
Brought here from New York City
by DR.. George c. Rutland to estab-
lish the Bureau Of Public Health
Nursing Of the Health Department,
which she heads, Mrs. Prescott's
professional background and prac-
tical experience in public health
nursing was wide and varied one
in this great metropolitan center.
From it she has learned, she says,
1T I am to be as effective in my