Evening star., 1942-10-27
New Plans to Speed Solution
OfNurse Shortage Being Drawn
Emergency May Cut Troining Months;
Warning Against Too Much LiberoIity

for professional group, and sec
ondly, it meant that we opened the
profession to nurses who were in
adequately prepared.
People ask me, Why don't you
do like the medical and engineering
schools and condense your pro-
gram?' We did that years ago.
These other schools haven't re-
duced their curriculum so much rs
they have the time in which the
curriculum is given. We have op-
Grated on a calendar year and they
have been on nine-month session
basis"
FavOrs Acceleration.
While Miss Cowan does not want
to give up the required clinical
services, she believes that they can
be worked into a 30-month course,
as proposed by the National
League of Nursing Education, but
she points out that this would be
strictly on minimum basis.
She is highly in favor of the
leagues proposal for an accelerated
prgram.
students with from two to four
years of approved college prepara-
ton would be of great value to us, "
she said. This would be true espe-
cially in the case of persons who
hold bachelor of science degrees.
With little more experience, they
would be well prepared to fit into
our schools. of nursing and the field
of public health. sa-,s.
1T is these applicants with science
degrees and not high school girls
with three years of education that
we should let our bars down to.
Already we shorten the nursing
course for degree holders by six
months. Their degree means that
they have the equivalent of that
much of our training We've never
had enough of these. Well need
more after the war"
Frauds Uncovered.
Miss CoWan has daily records to
substantiate her argument that the
board should not relax its require
ments too far if it is to maintain
proper protection to the public. She
cited these as recent cases against
which the board has acted:
An applicant who untruthfully
claimed she was a graduate of a
nurses training school.
Attendants who come in under an
unrecognized waiver of State laws
Unqualified persons who pose as
qualified nurses.
Operator of a so-called course in
practical nursing who assumed the
name of a graduate of a New York
| nursing school.
Drug addicts working as nurses.
Miss Cowan reported that the
board already has taken many steps
to fit its requirements to the wal
emergency. Outstanding among
these is an effort to reduce to a
minimum the routine required fol
nurses who come in from outside the
District to register by reciprocity.
Denies Back Dues Assessed.
The executive secretary said there
Is no basis for the. charge that many
nurses have been kept from active
duty by a requirement that they
pay back dues.
If nurse who returns to active
duty is in good standing, she will
be registered on payment of the
current annual 81 registration fee,
she explained
Miss Cowan said the, board keep.
a constant lookout for loopholes by
which nurses from States in which
there are stringent regulations may
be registered in the District. She
recalled an instance In which an ap.
plicant from Iowa was informed
that, in order to be registered prop.
erly in her home State, she woule
have to pay back dues beginninf
with 1925. The letter informing hel
of this, however, recalled that sh.
had been registered there by exami.
nation in 1923, so the local boare
accepted this as evidence of her pas
training. ,
Some States require that nurse.
return for an examination in order
to be reinstated at home. Among
these which have come to the at.
tention of the local board In it.
efforts to nberalize its interpreta.
ton Of reciprocity rulings have
been Illinois and Missouri.
Reciprocity Figures.
During the last fiscal year, 454
nurses were registered by reciproc.
ity, as compared to 33l for 1904
214 for 1882 40, and 21l for each O.
the two preceding years. Registra.
tions by examination totaled 2lO IL
1912, 201 for 1904, 2o7 fo
1939-40, 214 for 1938-39 and 2Ol
for 1937-38.
Following are figures for the las
seven years on the annual sun
total registration, which includes
nurses annually registered for th'
year, plus those who took the ex'
animation and those who came IL
by reciprocity during each year ant
the preceding year:
1853 for 194l-42, 4,382 for 194O-41
4,105 for 1939-40, 1888 for 1888
1886 for 1898, 1856 r>1936-37
$3.50 for 1855.