Evening star., 1944-04-09

anu meolcal technlclanS as the in
vasion of Western Europe ap-
reaches, regional quotas have been
assigned for needed volunteers.
The District was asked to furnish
1853 registered nurses between Janu-
ary l and July l of this year. and
IS still are needed to fill this quota,
according to the Instructive Visiting
Nurses Society.
One of the expedients which is
being resorted to in hospitals is
for a special nurse, ordinarily as
signed to a single patient, to care
for two or three in adjacent rooms
"A third of a nurse is better than
none" an official commented.
Registrations decline.
Filling calls for nurses from hos
pitfalls and homes becomes more
difficulty daily, it was said at the
Graduate Nurses Association. A
dozen used to drop in daily to regis
ter, now one rarely appears.
The nurses organizations, it was
pointed out, face the double duty
,of cooperating with the armed
forces in recruiting all the young
and able-bodied nurses needed and
at the same time, trying to fill al
least the minimum of essentia,
civilian requirements.
Hope was expressed that the
large classes Of students at present
In training in Washington nursing
schools would relieve the situation
to some extent. Capacity classes
are enrolled in all the hospital
schools, and more would be takine
the courses if there were room fol-
them, a superintendent of nurses
said. While many of the graduates
undoubtedly will be commissioned
in the Army or Navy, she explained
many undergraduates will be avail
able for the hospital duty which
always occupies large part of the
latter phase of their schooling.
Older nurses, some emerging from
retirement, are putting in long hours
in hospitals.
oSPASoA SdSCS ItASiux.
Figures made public for the first
time yesterday by James Russell
Clark, director of the Washington
Wartime Bureau of the American
Hospital Association, showed that
hospital admissions in the United
States increased, in round figures
from 100000 in 1912 to $4,000, ,00C
during 1943.
This increase, far out of proper
tlon to population growth and other
normal factors, is attributed in part
to higher wages, which have enabled
many persons hitherto unable to
afford hospital treatment to pay fo,
it.
Mr.. Clark said the stringency in
hospital personnel which had hit
Washington is simply what is
happening all over the country
Many hospitals have had to close
sections and otherwise curtail serv-
ice to their communities, he pointed
out.
The armed forces have taken So
600 physicians and about $4,000
nurses from civil practice, and tech
nicians, orderlies and other en-
ploeys have been drafted in heavy
numbers.
Cadet Training Speeded.
The United States Nurses Cadet
Corps, under the Public Health
Service, is campaigning to recruit
5000 student nurses by June. They
Will be assigned to essential institu-
tions for the duration. An ac-
celerated training program, under
which training may be completed
in 80 instead of 36 months has beer
worked out.
The attitude Of most local hos
pltal Superintendents seems to be
to try to carry on without decreas-
ing their facilities, though some ad-
mitted yesterday they didn't know
how long they could continue to
do this.
At Georgetown Hospital. it was
said that more patients would be
taken if there we're room. Provi-
dence Hospital reported itself buster
than ever, with no intention of cut
ting down its services.
Casualty Hospital expressed hope
that it could continue at present
capacity. One ward was closed
| about four months ago.
AT Garfield Hospital, while ro
curtailment was anticipated, 1t was
recalled that floor remodeled for
an obstetrical ward two years age
never had been opened, since there
were not enough nurses.
Gallinger Hit Hard.
A small tuberculosis unit al
Freedmen's Hospital, fitted up some
time ago, has remained unopened
for the same reason. Freedmen s
however, has been maintaining al
existing services despite a normal
nursing quota considerably smaller
than most hospitals have-a quota
not filled at the moment.
DR.. Daniel l.. Seckinger of the
District Health Department, actine
superintendent of Gallinger, sale
the municipal hospital was having E
terrific struggle to keep it's facilities
but would do so as long as humanly
possible
Our hospitals" he added, "neec
the sympathetic cooperation Of
everyone in these trying times"
Hospital executives had high
praise for the Red Cross, whost
volunteer aides have given valuabl.
haln