The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1945-02-01

!
l want to explain in this column a
] proposal that have just submitted to
the Surgeon General of the Army,
because l think it is important and
because l think it has something to
do with a lot of muddled thinking
about man power in general
The Army is putting forth the most
strenuous efforts to recruit nurses.
Some hospital units are reported to
have sailed with extremely short
staffs When there are not nurses
enough it is tragic and perhaps this
is especially true where surgical
nurses are concerned.
Battlefield surgery cannot wait.
Knowing full we'll how dangerous
it is to tread within the realm of q
professional field, | do it because
there is certain volume of expert
ence to justify it.
When there are enough nurses they
do a lot of things that can be done
by persons who are not entitled to
the title nurse"
can be performed only by nurse.
Some of these functions are protected
by law, some merely by skill.
In civilian hospitals also there has
been and there is a shortage of
nurses.
New civilian hospitals in several
cities have found way to make up
in considerable measure for the short
age of nurses by enlisting the volun-
teer help of semi-trained men and
women-semi-t and also wholly
trained
There are a great many jobs that
can be done by unframed persons and
a great many more that can be done
by semi-trained persons.
Semi-trained persons, in the sense
meant here, are persons who have
been trained to do a limited number
of things which may be done safely
by persons who are not fully trained
nurses. Generally women who do this
work are called Hospital Aides; men
are Cdlltu bOOu
They have done magnificent work.
They continue to do it. And they will
keep on doing it.
The whole point is this: Use highly
developed skill ONLY on these jobs
that demand that degree of skill. Pro-
cure persons of lesser training for all
other jobs.
Examples Of the jobs done by Hos
pital Aides (and remember, these are
not Nurses Aides, who fall in still
different classification, of which there
also is shortage) are these: Clean
ing and sterilizing wounds; putting
instruments through the autoclave, or
sterilizer; preparing surgical trays;
interviewing as to nature of injury
or illness; ministering to various
wants of patients; answering tele-
phones; running supplies from store
room to- o'surgery or ward; helping in
pediatrics; and lot of other jobs.
Good Samaritans do some of these
same jobs, in addition to which they
scrub floors and move patients.
In many cases the only training
these workers have had is on the job
Few are able to get advance training.
But they learn and they learn fast.
Experience shows that two volun-
teer Hospital Aides will fully double
the capacity of the trained nurse to
do the work that only nurse can do
THAT seems worth while!
Also THAT seems to be way of
easing the shortage of nurses in the
Army, as it has done in civilian hos
pitals.
No good plant uses highly skilled
to run errands. The prin
,iple is the same.
The chances are that the Army will
NOT adopt this plan. 1t takes too
ong to break down precedents.
And some nurses fear that the vol
lnteer, after the war, will try to be-
.ome a professional There is
hadow of job jealousy. BUT THIS
S A WAR EMERGENCY. The jeal-
'usy seems ill founded and i'll fitting.
| know this system works in civilian
hospitals, because for two years
ave seen it work.
Manpower has been too largely
thing in many fields.
{ common sense can break a few
ules and precedents a lot of man
over will be found ready to work.
INV.