The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-11-20
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES: .s-..s !: ss.::.ss-ss

Despite a threatened shortage in
personnel, the nursing profession is
far better prepared for the present
emergency than it was at the time Of
the first World War, it is made clear
| in pamphlet, "Better Nursing for
IAmerica," written by Beulah Amidon
and just published by the Public At
fairs Committee. This pamphlet was
prepared in cooperation with the
American Nurses Association, the
National League of Nursing Educa-
ton, and the National Organization
! for Public Health Nursing.
"Twehty-five years ago." Miss Ami
Idon points out, nursing as a career
was little sought after. The hospital
schools did not have enough we'll
Iqualified applicants. Some 60 per cent
of the schools required only one full
lyear, or even less, Of high school, and
there was little pretense that nursing
schools existed primarily for educa-
Itional purposes. Many hospitals had
schools simply to obtain cheap nurs-
ling service"
Today nursing schools have rigid
Ientrance requirements and provide a
Thorough education. Vast new fields
of specialization have been opened
|up, and standards within the profess
lson have been materially raised.
New responsibilities have been
placed on the profession by the ma
tional defense program. Each month
hundreds of well-qualifed nurses are
being drawn into the Army and Navy.
The mushroom growth of communi-
ties in which defense industries and
lcantonments are located has been ac-
Icompanied by serious problems of
sanitation and health.
To meet these needs and the prob
lens of the post defense period, a
| Nursing Council on National Defense
has been set up composed Of repre-
lsentatives Of the national nursing or
Plantations with ex-officio representa-
tion from the Federal government
nursing services. As its first step, this
council recommended nation wide
survey of registered nurses to deter
mine where our nurses may be found
and what services they are equipped
to render Immediately in the event Of
an acute national emergency.
As a second step, the council is
staging a drive for recruiting nurses
along four major fronts: 1) an in
crease in enrolment of qualified
registered nurses in the Red Cross
| Nursing Service which, in addition to
providing service in time Of disaster,
serves as the First Reserve of the
Army and Navy Nurse Corps; (2) an
increase in enrolment of qualified
students in sound schools of nursing
| (3) development of refresher courses
for graduate nv~aes who have not
been active recently; and (4) encour-
agement of qualified nurses to enter
ithe specialized fields of nursing.
1t is estimated that at least $4,000
nurses will be required for govern
ment service during the coming year,
and that an additional 10000 are
needed for staff positions in hospitals
and other civilian institutions. A
drive is also underway to enroll at
least $4,000 student nurses. Given
this needed personnel, the profession
appears to be ready for whatever de-
mands may lie ahead
Better Nursing for America" is the
siXtieth of series of popular, factual
l0-cent pamphlets published by the
Public Affairs Committee, 30 Rookie
fellcr Plaza, New York City.