Evening star., 1943-10-08
D.C.Trai|sNation
In Nurse Quota
For War Duty
Committee Opens
Survey Of Those
Available Here

The District has supplied only 81
per cent of its l943 quota of nurses
for the armed forces and on a per-
centage basis is further behind than
any State in the Nation, it was dis
closed last night at a special meet
ing Of nurses held in the Medical
Society Building, 17l8 M street NV
AT the same time, it was revealed
that the District Committee on
Nursing Procurement and Assign
ment Services, the local division of
group set up under the War Man.
power Commission, has begun the
classification of all nurses here to
determine their availability for duty
with the armed forces and the es-
sentlallty of their present positions.
Hospitals Surveyed.
subcommittee is visiting IA
hospitals here this week, and on the
basis of its survey. the District
procurement and Assignment Com
mlttee will classify nurses in these
hospitals as to the eSsentiality of
their Jobs, Miss Gertrude H. Bowl
ing, the committee chairman, an
nounced
Later the classification will be
extended to nursing education per-
sonnel, and nurses employed in
doctors Offices, in public health
work, on private duty and else
where. Under the direction of
state Procurement and Assignment
Committees, similar ratings are to
be given nurses in all communities
throughout the country.
Miss Louise A, Baker. assistant
executive officer in charge of the
nursing division of the National
procurement and Assignment Serv-
ices, told the meeting that all pri-
Fate outy nurses between the ages
OF 2l and 45, who are either single
or have no children under ID wears
OF age will be classed as available
Tor service with the armed forces.
Where private duty nurses do not
meet these eligibility requirements
Tor war service, attempts will be
ma6e to shift them into more es-
sentlal nursing activities unless thev
are attending critically i'll persons
who need full-time nursing care.
Miss Baker said,
Doctors Offices To Be Hit.
Nurses employed in doctors Offices
will be declared available for war
service if they meet the eligibility
requirements, Miss Baker said. In
cases where these nurses are per-
forming duties that require special
skllls, the Procurement and Assign
ment Committee will grant tempo
rary "deferments" until replace
mentS can be trained.
Staff nurses in hospitals and nurs-
Ing education personnel generally
are performing essential work. but
those eligible for service with the
military will be classed as essential
only until replacements can be
trained from among the nurses who
are over 45 or have small children.
Miss Baker said.
In many hospitals, nurses are
being used for duties that can be
handled adequately by nurses aides
or other lay personnel, she pointed
out. These hospitals will be asked
to make adjustments so as to re-
lease as many nurses as possible for
war service.
Pooling of Resources.
Pooling of public health resources
and elimination of specialized nurs-
Ing services in the public health
fleld also Will be recommended hy
the Procurement and Assignment
Service, Miss Baker added.
Both Miss Baker and Dr.. NJ, F.
Lapham, Navy commander who is
IN service as executive officer for
the Procurement and ASSIGNMENT
Service, explained that the Man.
power Commission cannot REQUIRE
nurses to accept duty with the armed
forces even though they are classed
AS aVallabue, but will depend on the
pressure Of public opinion and CO.
operation of hospitals, doctors and
other employers Of nurses to get
them into war service.
DR.. LaDham also announced that
IN the future nurses will be ey-
empted from provisions of the War
ManpoWer Commissions employ
ment Stabilization program, and
may shift jobs without certificates of
availability from their former en-
pIoyers or rcferral by the United
States Employment Service.
Persons who leave essential Jobs
to begin training to become nurses
must have certificates of availability
or USES reIerral, however, he said
Red Cross to Continue Work.
Miss Gertrude Banfield, assistant
director of the Nursing Service of
the American Red Cross. also spoke
at the meeting, explaining that the
Red Cross will continue to handle
the recruiting of nurses for the
armed forces, but will be guided en-
tlrely by clasSifications made by the
District and State Procurement and
Assignment Committees.
In disclosing that the District has
supplied only l55 of its 1943 quota
of 480 nurses for the armed services,
Miss Baker described the situation
as rather appalling" She said
after the meeting, however. that she
believed the District would be able
to fill its quota by the end of the
year, If intensive efforts are made.
Miss Bowling. who served as chair
man of the meeting, disclosed, how
ever, that hospitals here already are
experiencing a severe shortage of
nursing help.