Evening star., 1947-06-12
D. {. Practical Nurses
To SET Up Job Registry
With Limit on Fees
By Thomas 6. Buchanan

Public complaint that nome nurS-
ing service is hard to get and nurses
too often are unskilled and unre-
liable has prompted the citys prac-
tical nurses to take matters into
their own hands.
Next week the Undergraduate and
Practical Nurses Association will
open its own ncnproflt nursing reg
istry, dealing directly with the public
and offering 24-hour service, with
fees limited to ST for an eight
hour day and $40 for IL hours.
Miss Mary E. Bednarick, who
heads the association, today re-
ported the practical nurses have
two objectives in establishing the
new nursing service:
/. To protect the public from per-
sons representing themselves as
trained nurses but who lack sufd-
cient experience to care for the
sick.
Also Protects Nurses.
3. To safeguard the nurses them
selves from "exploitation" by many
existing registries operated for pro-
fit, which charge the nurses per-
centage of their fees for each job
on which they are placed.
The attempt of the Districts
practical nurseskto police themselves
is necessitated, their spokesman ex-
planned, by the fact that no official
District authority is empowered to
do so.
A proposal to require practical
nurses to be examined for their
medical experience and licensed TO
practice their profession here, advo-
Gated for two years by the Graduate
Nurses Association as well as the
practical nursing group, has been
tabled by Commissioner Guy Mason
because Of his opposition to granting
the licensing power to the exist
ing Nurses Examining Board.
Under the current anarchy in the
practical nursing profession, Miss
Bednarick charged, many existing
registries accept any nurse able to
pay the necessary fee, without
proper investigation of her ability
and training or adequate supervision
over what she charges her patients.
Ability Proof Required.
The nurses own registry, she said,
will require members to furnish
proof of three years practical expe-
rience, including year in the Dis
trict. and testimonials OF efficiency
from two doctors and two former
patients.
Patients will be charged the same
fees as those now established for
practical nurses who are affiliated
with the registry maintained by the
Graduate Nurses Association, al
though some private agencies permit
nurses to demand considerably more.
Graduate nurses on home duty re-
ceive $40 and SIS for corresponding
hours.
Miss Bednarick estimated the
nurses themselves would have to pay
only about 20 per cent for member
ship in the registry of what they
now are charged by many employ
ment services.
They will be required to contrib
ute an initial assessment OF % ana
81 a week thereafter for the first
six months, she declared. The money
will be needed to pay office rent and
hire one full-time employe, she ex-
planned. Most Of the office work and
telephone duty will be done by nurse
volunteers, at least until the registry
is firmly on its feet.
Endorsed by Cannon.
Il think It's the first step in the
right direction" commented DR..
James A. Cannon. physician mem
Der Of the Board of Education, when
informed OF the practical nurses
plans. He has been a leading ad-
yocate OF the registry.
TT will tend to curb the CONNER
cial agencies, some Of which are ex-
plotting these women by charging