Evening star., 1944-04-23

measles, after her graduation from
another Of Mrs. Vests nurses aide
series.
With pride Mrs. West points to 6
Southeast group of homemakers
who attended one of her first course.
given at the Chamberlin Vocational
Public School near Seventeenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue
Sc, and afterward served under
Sister Rita at Providence Hospital.
Need Grows Daily.
ANY woman who has the time
will be rendering an invaluable
service during this war emergency
by registering for a nurses aide
course and giving volunteer service
in the wards of our hospitals" Mrs.
West emphasized. "The need in
creases daily and will continue to,
because more and more young
nurses must be recruited from ci-
william ranks to care for those
wounded in military service over
seas"
Nurses aides serve without pay.
They take temperatures, make beds,
give bed baths, assist in diet kitch-
ems, stay with patients coming out
of ether, help dress them for their
sitting-up periods or for their trips
home, and relieve the regular
nurses in many other ways. They
are not permitted to give medicines
or administer treatment of any kind
Husband Approves of Work.
Maj. West does not object to the
almost full-time schedule his wife
is contributing to the war effort.
1--WE talked it all over before she
enlisted, so to speak," he says. IT
had the opportunity to serve my
country during the First World War.
I am proud and happy that my wife
can make this contribution to nurs-
ing needs in this war"
Despite her intensive contribution
TO nursing instruction and nursing
service, Mrs. West has the faculty
of never seeming tired, hurried or
unduly pushed Her home, too,
still maintains it's air of gracious,
weu-kept serenity.
In the library of their apartment,
on the wall of which hang auto
graphed portraits of prominent per-
sonages in the past and present
Washington scene, most of the we'll
thumbed books deal with refresher
courses in 1.-THE Practice and Prin-
ciples of Nursing" or in specialized
fields of this subject.
In all of her nursing instruction
Mrs. West emphasizes, "use your
head and all of the knowledge you
have in an emergency, but secure a
doctor, or get in touch with one as
soon as you possibly can"
Has It's Own Reward.
"One of the greatest rewards COM
ing to any one who aids in the care
Of a very ill person, is to see that
person begin to recover" she de-
clares.
She keenly feels that the aged
and the infirm in our families need
special care and require infinitely
more patience during these days of
stress, so that they will not suffer
unduly from the feeling that they
are useless or a burden. The chill
dren of America in her opinion par
ticularly need to have impressed
upon them that greater considera-
ton should be shown the elderly
members of the household, since in
so many communities they are hav-
ing to carry responsibilities far be-
yond their strength.
Asked her recipe for always hav-
ing time for the task at hand, Mrs.
West said, "Reorganize your pro-
gram of living for the most impor-
tant task that lies ahead, try not
to take on more than your strength
and patience will enable you to
carry through successfully, always
allow some extra time. for the emer-
genciesy that are bound to occur,
and make your minutes count"