Evening star., 1946-06-10
Letters to The Star
Or. Cannon Favors Regulating
OF Practical Nurses Work
To the Editor of The Star

Az tHe LultoE oI lHe Star.
1t is not possible to estimate accu-
rately the number of practical nurses
who are working in Washington, but
a conservative guess would be about
1000. The scale from very poor to ex-
cellent service is found in this group.
Some of them have had some training
and some education and some have mot.
Probably they all are well-meaning peo-
pie who feel the urge to nurse and
alleviate the sufferings of humanity. Up
to the present time, they are not reg
istered and are not licensed. BARRIERS
and beauticians must furnish evidence
OF good health each year and must be
registered and licensed. 1t would seem
that there is much more necessity for
licensing practical nurses because they
come in more intimate contact with
their clients than do members OF the
other two occupations.
I attended a meeting at the Burdick
Vocational School on June 4, where a
group of the more thoughtful and prac-
tical nurses were endeavoring to form
an organization to improve the plight
OF the practical nurses in Washington
and also to improve the service to the
public. They have employed an attorney
who has submitted to the Commission
ers the draft of a bill for the registra-
ton and licensing of practical nurses.
The bill provides that the nurses now
in practice can be registered without
examination If they can submit proof
hot hniy
during the past two years. All others
are to be examined on the fundamentals
OF nursing. 1t is proposed that schools
for practical nurses be put in operation
where they will be taught for one year
what Is necessary for them to know.
During the past five years, there has
been an acute shortage of registered
graduate nurses, and it was hoped that
when hostilities ceased they again would
take their places in the community, but
they have not returned in sufficient
numbers to ease the shortage very much.
1here should be no conflict between
the graduate nurses and the practical
nurses because the graduate nurses are
necessary in acute illnesses and in oper-
atlve procedures. When convalescence
begins or when the disease becomes
chronic, their high skill is no longer
necessary and they may become bored
with the routine care of such cases.
Here is where the practical nurse comes
in.
Income tax law has SO arranged the
income OF the people that the employ
ment OF a graduate nurse over a long
period becomes hardship The doctor
Is requested to supplant the graduate
nurse by practical nurse, when the
case IS long drawn out. I learned at
the meeting on June that the practical
nurses obtain their cases through COM
mercial registries. Most of these reg
lstrles require the nurses to pay to
them 10 per cent of their entire earn
lngs. This makes it possible for the
registry to collect up to s4o0 a year out
OF the meager. wages Of the practical
nurse. In comparison with this, the
iegistrles OF the Graduate Nurses Asso-
cation serve the nurses for a fiat rate
OF s2o year. The registry for prac-
tlcal nurses, of course, has no wav of
knowing whether nurse they send
out is good, bad, or Indifferent.
l think that the forward looking prac-
tlcal nurses who are organizing and
requesting license. and registration are
to be congratulated and I think that
the public should be interested and CO.
operative in helping them attain this
end. I hope that the Commissioners
VIII forward this bill (Which they have
had under consideration for long time,
to Congress with their Endorsement.
also hope that this letter will be read
by all practical nurses in Washington.
and that they will communicate with
Mrs. Mary E. Bednarick, 4331 Reno roa6
NV, and apply for membership in the
Practical Nurses Association.
The welfare of the people demands
That the practical nurses situation be
regulated. JAMES A. CANNON,
M. D., F.. A. C. S.