Evening star., 1946-05-24
Stronger Nurse
Service Needed,
SurveyReports
Nearby Sections
Reported Far Below
Adequate STANDARD
By Harold B. Rooers

While the evolution of public
health nursing has been sound and
constructive" in the National Cap
ital area, Serious challenges" are to
be met in the future, because nurs-
ing forces now are far below the
level of effective service"
Presenting this critical analysis,
the metropolitan health and hos
pltal survey today recommended
consideration be given to a single
complete generalized community
nursing service, providing both
health supervision and home nursing
care to the entire population" Pool
Ing OF present facilities was urged.
Several broad-gauge recommended
tlons were put forward in CHARTER
XII OF the survey report. Specific
problems in each of the six politica,
jurisdictions in the Metropolitan
Area were analyzed. "Outstanding
needs" were outlined and remedies
proposed
Joint Action Recommended.
The two principal recommends.
tions for the District of Columbia:
l. The Health Department and
the Instructive Visiting Nurse so-
clety should appoint a Joint com.
mlttee to consider in detail the mn.
tual responsibilities of their two or.
ganlza tions to explore the possible
Ties OF a joint educational program
ana to work out a plan@for a ioint
once Tor the two groups of nurses
IN one district where co-ordinatin,
policies and practices could he
Stuoled experimentally and demon.
strated.
z. Inc Child Welfare Society and
the klwanls Club should give serious
consideration to the desirabilitv of
contracting with the Instructive
Visiting Nurse Society to provide the
nome nursing service now sunn1ied
by those organizations.
Looking into the future with
view to modern trends, the report
declared:
IN the communities not now
regularly offering nursing care of
the SICK In their homes, it is i'm
portant to call attention to the fact
that as the national health service
plans, which include medical care.
develop and expand under govern
mental as well as voluntary auspices
nursing services will be required for
tnose enrolled in such plans, and
should be available from an organ.
izeo community nursing service"
Home Visits Restricted.
Making statistical report on the
shortage OF nurses throughout the
entire Metropolitan Area, based on
the American Public Health Asso-
cation estimate of "one nurse for
z,OoO persons" the survey said the
result is that "the nurses in nearly
| all areas are forced to devote half
or tWo-thirds of their time to clinic
services. to the serious detriment of
tne important task of home visiting :"
Inc District of Columbia and
alexandra were said to have
less than half the service thev
need" for adequate service" the
surveyors said, while Prince Geors
County has less than one-ffth. and
Falrfax not much over one-tenth.
Inc basic minimum" suggested
oy the American Public Health As
soclat1on for the most fundamental
and elementary official public health
services with no provision for bed
Side care) was said to be one nurse
Tor 5000 people. Fairfax and Prince
Georges Counties have, respectively.
one-quarter and one-half of this
minimum.
Praising the Bureau of Nursing
OF the District Health Department
as "one of the outstanding achieve
ments OF the department during the
past 10 years" the survey declared
however, that the staff lis made
quate to meet the needs of the Dis
trict." The theoretical staff of
l60, in which there are now "A va
cancies, the report said, should be
increased to more than 300 to meet
the ideal standards of service as
they are met in cities which have a
fully adequate public health nursing
program"
The Instructive Visiting Nurse
Society was praised for its record
OF nearly half a century of dis
tinguished service" and for having
given an admirable example Of
leadership in cooperative COM
munity planning" But with ad-
ditional personal, and more money
recommended from the Community
Chest and from the Board of Public
Welfare's tax funds for the care
OF the INDECENT, the society's service
could we'll be expanded.