The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1942-10-13
SHOWS GREAT NEED
TO help NURSING
CHURCHES AND OTHER Or
CARNATIONS ARE URGED
TO COOPERATE

tIInc II. LlIlQdDuIy, II. IN, C0dlT-
man, Fourth Congressional Dis
trict, State Defense War Coun-
Gil:
Some hundred women, most OF
them Army nurses, were on Cor
regidor when the Rock fell. Their
fate dramatizes the fact that
nurses are in the wars front
lines-front lines that are ex-
tended into every city, town and
rural area in the land by the ma
ture of our total war;.
The churches can be a mighty
force to help the nursing profess
sion do its war work, both at
home and abroad, and to this
end many cities are setting aside
suitable Sunday as Nurses
Day, to secure the cooperation
of every church-goer in:
l. Enlisting eligible nurses in
the Red Cross First Reserve for
assignment to the Army and
navy Nurse corps.
2. Recruiting student nurses
to fill all available openings in
accredited schools of nursing.
3. Bringing inactive or retired
nurses back into the profession
4. Recruiting and training vol
unteer nurses aides.
The nursing profession recog-
nizes that first responsibility is
to meet the needs of the armed
forces. The Army and Navy
Nurse Corps were calling for g.
600 graduate, registered nurses.
unmarried and under forty, each
month in late summer 1912, and
if military operations expand, the
number may be increased.
No matter how many nurses
are called to the colors, however,
ESSENTIAL nursing service must be
maintained in every community.
This is war of populations, and
not only must every group of
people see to it that its routine
health needs are met, but it must
also be prepared in some measure
to deal with epidemic, disaster,
or enemy attack, should it &C.
cur.
The church, with its age-old
emphasis on human welfare and
the relief or suffering, will want
TO take leading place in solving
these problems in each commun-
ity. Many church leaders, too,
are definitely concerned with de-
nOminational or other hospitals
which are rapidly losing doctors
and nurses to military service.
The National Nursing Council
for War Service, which works
through state and local nursing
councils, is urging each commun-
ity to study its own needs and
resources, in order to help each
nurse decide wisely about wheth-
er she should answer the call to
the colors or stay on the home
front.
Nurses who should remain at
home at least for the present, de-
clares the council, include key
administrators and supervisors
in hospitals; those essential to
teaching in hospitals with schools
or nursing; administrators, teach
ers and supervisors in public
health agencies; staff nurses of
public health agencies needed to
maintain minimum civilian health
services in any given commun-
ity; industrial nurses.
On the other hand, nurses who
are in private duty, on a hos
pitfalls general staff, in non-nurs-
ing or office positions, hospital
head nurses not essential to teach
ing or supervision, or public
health nurses whose services can
be replaced or spared, should en-
roll at once in the First Reserve
of the American Red Cross or, il
already enrolled should apply tC
the Army or Navy for assign
ment.
These clasSificationS setup by
the National Nursing Council
have the approval of the Health
and Medical Committee of the
Federal Governments Office o.
Defense Nursing, and of the
American Red Cross. Thus they
offer a dependable guide for any
community until such time as
changing war conditions may re-
quire revision of the classified
tionS.
The nation possesses an ex'
tremely valuable nursing back
log" in more than 100000 retir,
ed nurses. Many of these do moi
have small children and will bC
glad to return to active duty il
order to do their bit for victory
if they understand the need
Many of these retired nurses car
be reached only through the
churches.
Young peoples groups can dc
yeoman service in explaining tc
girls how vital a war service
nursing is. Those churches
marking Nurses Day" are in
deed inviting Red Cross and 9TH
er nurses to tell young people !