Evening star., 1942-10-29
Inactive Nurses Could Return
To Duty if Aided by Community
Many Need Domestic Help and Care
For Children, Survey Indicates

W pIdCIlCe IN Une DlStr1ct as
long as she Is on the inactive list
Because of your delinquency IN
failing to pay, your registration
has been automatically can
celed Any nurse whose regis
tration has been automatically can
celed shall be deprived OF the
privileges of registered nurse until
such time as she again becomes reg
istered."
No mention is made in these let
tiers OF a section of law governing
the registration of nurses that
states: Nothing in this act shall be
construed to prevent any person
from nursing any other person in
the District of Columbia, either
gratuitously or for hire, provided
that such person so nursing shall not
represent herself as being a regis
tered, certified graduate or trained
nurse"
The nurses themselves explained
that they are afraid of the boards
power, that it could blacklist them
and make 1t impossible for them ever
TO earn q living at their profession
II necessary, and for that reason
would rather stay out of the picture
than to come in for part time nurs-
ing under such circumstances.
Should Eliminate Fee.
TITS like pointing a gun at u.s."
they say.
They point further to the fact that
the board holds them to its ruling
without consideration of their train
ing, the need for nurses, or the in
convenience which they bring on
themselves when they leave their
homes. They feel, as do some au-
thorities, that the board in this
grave emergency should do away
with its reinstatement fee and ad-
NIT them for the period of the war
at least on basis of good standing.
Still another proposal to relieve
the nursing shortage in hospitals
has been that private duty nurses
be encouraged to 60 into general
duty. Unless this is done by Ma
tlon-Wide draft, possibly under the
war Manpower Commission, it must
be a voluntary proposition, a de-
clslon by the private nurse that she
will "submerge by own pecuniary
feelings and go into general duty to
aid my community
This change, it is explained
would involve considerable sacrifice,
both IN money and degree of work.
But the private duty nurses already
nave agreed to do at least one
months general duty each year.
489 Are Married.
Hospitals are unable to take a.
hand in the proposal because of
their patients feeling in the mat
ter, and this has given rise to a
suggestion that the public be made
aware that the day of extravagant
nursing service has gone for the
time being
1t has even been proposed that
private nursing be placed in the
luxury class and permitted only on
doctors prescription. The draw
back to this, on the other hand.
~oulu pe tndC many women now
working as private nurses would 90
into other and more remunerative
work in preference to general nurs-
ing duty.
Not all private duty nurses are
able to do general duty, it further
is pointed out. The Nurses Official
Registry lists 1,1O0, of whom it is
estimated 100 are either pregnant
or have young babies they cannot
leave, while an additional $50 are
physically unable to do hospital
work. Four hundred and eighty
nine are married.
Between 600 and 700 private
nurses now are on active duty, &C
cording to the registry. Each week,
from 80 to so of these consent to do
general duty.
Many nurses have regular jobs
during the week and do nursing
duty on week ends. Another l25
have home responsibilities they can
not escape, but stand ready to come
in case the emergency is sufficiently
grave.