Evening star., 1943-03-13
bi||BeingDrawn
To Form Student
Nurse Corps
PIon Would Provide
Pay for Troinees,
Officer Commissions

tA4iiC tCiIdiiN 4cl IilC4p IluIS CIle
administration is planning to estab-
liSh Victory Student Nurse
Corps" 10 compete with the
WAVES, WAACS and SPARS, for
capable young women needed in the
service of their country.
Legislation now is being written
with the approval Of high admins
tration authorities for submission
soon to Congress. it was learned
The student nurses would be paid
while training. somewhat like the
WAVES or WAACS, and would be
provided with a distinctive insignia
They might be given a special de-
scriptive name not vet determined.
The plan was disclosed last night
ct meeting of the new District
Nursing Council for War Service at
the YWCA.
Competition flinders Recruiting.
Introducing the subject. MIS-. Jo-
sephine Pitman Prescott, council
Chairman said
One of our difficulties in recruit
Ing nurses during this war has been
the competition with other war serv-
ice groups-the WAVES. WAACS
and others"
The plan, she explained. would be
administered by the Public Health
Service as an expansion Of its pres
ent nursing education program. The
plan would include maintenance
and stipends for students. and uti-
llzation in military and other Gov
ernment hospitals of the services of
some OF the senior students.
The proposal also provides for
reducing the basic training period
from 36 to 30 or "a months. depend
Ing on the students academic pre-
paration. On graduation thev would
either enter the armed forces with
relative rank and the pay of second
lieutenant or ensign. or would be
assigned to Government or civilian
nursing services essential to the war
effort. In the final stages of train
Ing they would be known as cadets"
Endorsed by NcNutt.
Miss Pearl McIver, principal con-
suItant nurse Of the Public Health
Service, told the group the plan had
the Endorsement of the Health and
Medical Committee of the Office
OF Defense, Health and Welfare
Services and of Federal Security
Administrator McNutt.
The Nursing Council for War
Service, formerly known as the
Council on Community Nursing.
Mrs. Prescott explained, hopes it
will be cooperative in community
undertakings important to the war
effort, but. it must also co-ol dinate
its activities to avoid waste and to
further a highly constructive serv-
Ice both to the military and civilian
population"
In Washington. she said. eve
hear almost daily from hospital
superintendents, physicians and pa
tents of the distressing situation
in our hospitals and homes be-
cause of the lack of qualified
nurses"
The Red Cross in its recruiting
program of nurses for the armed
forces does not intend to "cut below
the safety margin for the total
population here" according to Miss
Gertrude H. Bowling. chairman of
the councils committee on supply
and distribution OF nurses.
Group Nursing Considered.
A proposal for group nursing"
she said, had been considered bv
her committee as on an expert
mental basis" which she hoped
might be worked out as one way of
spreading nurse power" But she
warned that administrative diff
culties faced its practical applica-
lion at the present time She pro-
posed a questionnaire be sent to
nurses and institutions on the
matter.
Taking up the report of a COM
nittee appointed by District Com
missioner Mason and headed by DR.. |
George c. Ruhland, health officer, |
concerning shortage Of nurses, Miss |
Bowling said the matter of low sala- |
ries for nurses had been improved !
somewhat. The average salary of |
general-duty nurses in hospitals /.
here. she said. had risen from about |
s75 month to about 500 a month |
with two meals and laundry, two
weeks vacation and two weeks sick /
cave. Some hospitals. she said were
paving Sl25 month and one SI30. /
with Sl40 at the end Of the second
,ear.
Registry Reduced.
The private-duty registry of
nurses, which year ago listed 100
nurses, now has only about 300 and
Is unable to meet all calls, she said.
Shortage of general-duty nurses in
hospitals, she said. had drawn from
IS TO 40 private nurses to the hos
2itals to fill such vacancies there.
About SO nurses were on part-t time
Jobs, and there are about 435 young
married nurses with young children
Who have difficulties serving as
nurses because Of the shortage of
domestic help to take care of their
children at home. Government
agencies are using between 300 and
100 nurses, she said.
Other reports on the nursing Situ-
Atlon here were presented by Miss
Edith NJ. Beattie. council secretary.
who is executive secretary of the
Graduate Nurses Association. ana
also nurse deputy 10 the Chief of
Medical Services of the Office OF
Civilian Defense; Mrs Elizabeth D.
Coleman, registrar of nurses, who is
chairman OF the councils committee
ON recruitment Of student nurses:
Miss NJ. Cardelia CoWan. executive
secretary Of the Nurses Examining
Board, and Miss Ashby TAYLOR,
superintendent Of nurses at Chill
drens Hospital. for the councils
committee on educational policies.