Evening star., 1944-05-23
D. T.. Nurse SHORTAGE
Likely 10 Continue,
Authorities Say

The shortage of nurses will con-
tinue to be more serious than lack
of hospital beds in the fastest grow
ing urban area in the country
Washington and environs-a survey
of the situation made clear today.
Garfield Memorial Hospital needs
Is more graduate nurses this week
to forestall the consolidating of two
wards.
| But for every two nurses they en-
ploy. DR.. F. j. Eiseman, the superin-
tendent said, five leave-and this
has been going on for two years.
Nurses leave, he said, first because
they are following husband in
service around the country, second
because. illness in their own family
or because they are going to bear
children, or because they are join
| ing the armed services.
Should another influenza epi-
demic sweep the city this fall as
| 1t did last, the situation would be
much more serious because of the
position of the hospitals, it was
pointed out.
Accommodation Available.
At present-probably due to pre-
vailing good health no great diff
Guilty is being experienced in OBJ
tanning hospital accommodations
Another reason is the expansion of
the Alexandria Hospital, the open
ing of the Arlington General Hos
lpital, the Suburban Hospital in Be-
thesda and the Prince Georges Cen
eral Hospital at Cheverly, Md,
which have added almost 400 hos
pital beds to the areas facilities in
a year.
Group Health and Group Hos
lpitalization executives said they are
getting hospital services for their
members promptly, even obstetrical
accommodations which were difficult
to get year ago. They attributed
this to the suburban hospitals.
Surg. Gen. Thomas r. Parran of
the Public Health Service told The
Star that the services Cadet Nurses
Corps should begin to relieve the
situation this fall in Washington
and other large cities when the
corps first classes will have finished
their basic training. They then will
be of real assistance in the hospitals
as they continue their training, he
said.
Nurses Homes Enlarged.
The schools of nursing at George
town University Hospital, Garfield,
Providence, Freedman, st. Eliza
beth's, Sibley and American Uni
versity all are participating in the
cadet program. Garfield, George
town, Providence and Children's
Hospitals are getting new or en-
larged nurses homes from Lanham
Act funds which will open this fall,
Tor the most part, and allow the
cadet program to grow.
The first-year cadet program in
the District, now coming to close,
was for $50 cadet nurses. of which
522 are to be beginners. The others
are student nurses in training who
transferred to the cadet CORDS, The
national program is for IS 900 cadets
VAN 3AAoo yCo1y vi WlllCI1 ,UUU
already are enlisted, and 1875 900 over
tWo-year period. This is far more
than will be taken by the armed
services and the public health agen-
cies. The remainder will be avail
able for essential" civilian nursing
Miss Edith Beattie of the Grad
uate Nurses Association said that
everything is being done to bring
the graduate nurse, who has mar
ried and retired, back into nursing.
The Doctors Hospital, she said,
had experienced success with such
nurses, using them on part time,
four-hour shifts. Others are work.
ing three to five days a week.
Miss Beattie's register illustrates
the nurse situation in Washington,
Last year 1,100 nurses were regis
tered Tor calls from physicians for
private nursing. This year she
has 600.