The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-06-27
Shortage Of Nurses
In Red Cross

The Maryland State and Local
Nursing Service Committee Of the
American Red Cross reported a SER
ious shortage of nurses In the Red
Cross Reserve Corps.
Miss Helen e. Wright, of Univer-
sity Hospital, chairman of the COM
mittee, said the corps--which must
be prepared to handle any disaster
or emergency arising in Maryland
needs at least 1900 members to
bring it to full strength.
1t is from the reserve, Miss
Wright pointed out, that nurses are
drawn for duty in the Army and
Navy. She said approximately rs
Maryland Red Cross nurses already
have been appointed to military
posts as second Lieutenants.a Right
now, said Miss Wright, there are
only 431 nurses in the first reserve.
This group is expected to supply the
nurses for the army and navy and
for more active type of work. These
nurses must be unmarried and under
40 years of age.
"There are 418 nurses in the Sec
ond reserve, which is made up OF
nurses more than 40 years of age,
are married or for some other reas-
on are not able to take on very ac-
tive work. "There should be 1000
more nurses In the first and second
reserve. Should an emergency call
come to us we would then be in a
position to answer full-heartedly, in
the true Maryland way"
All reserve nurses must be grad
yates of accredited nursing schools,
which have no less than SO patients
a day, and be members of the Mary
land State Nurses Association. She
said the association boasts a men,
bership of 5000. Married, retired or
inactive nurses are urged to take
hospital positions to release younger
nurses should reserve members be
called.
Zone of the main problems we
must be prepared to meet" it was
pointed out by Miss Elizabeth Nc
Laughlin, of the Johns Hopkins
Hospital, secretary of the commit
tee, sis that we must have reserve
large enough to answer any disaster
appeal quickly without understaff-
ing civilian hospitals. That is why
we want to hear from all nurses,
even though they may have been in
active for many years. We are con-
templating some refresher courses
for such women as these"
Applications for enrolment
should be sent to Miss Mclaughlin,
Committee Secretary.
Both Miss Wright and Miss Nc
Laughlin are members of the medi-
cal subcommittee of the Disaster
Relief Committee of the Baltimore
Red Cross Chapter. They procure
nurses needed when disasters, such
as floods, fires, hurricanes or indus
trial explosions, strike in Mary
land. The nurses won much praise
for their work during the Cumber-
land Valley flood in 1886, and more
recently at the Hercules Powder
Plant explosion in New Jersey.
The reserve is not open to per-
sons without training. Miss Wright
urged young girls studying career
to turn to nursing, as virtually all
nursing schools are now in search of
applicants.
The personnel of the Maryland
State and Local Nursing Committee
on the reserve follows:
Mrs. Dorothy Filler Mcbride,
State Board of Examiners, 2 West
Second Street, Frederick, Md; Miss
Edith B. Cow, II Revel st., Anna
polls; Miss Olive c. Menke, 156
South Morley Street; Miss Rather
inc R. Nelson, Johns Hopkins Hos
pital; Miss Myrtle M. Mock, PENN
sula General Hospital, Salisbury
Miss Ruth M. Scheper, Hospital fol
the Women of Maryland; Miss
Gladys LaRue, Memorial Hospital,
Cumberland, Md, and Miss Gather
inc Corley, State Department OF
Health, Baltimore, as well as the
Chairman and Secretary.
G. HI. Mcfarland,
Executive Director