Evening star., 1947-08-10
Student Nurse
Glass Doubled
AtGa||inger
81 in New Course
Against IS Yeor Ago;
Trend Seen General
BY Thomas 6. Buchonon

ny iHOmoS -. Ducn0ndn
Hospital officials, who have Ia.
mented the reluctance Of girls to
become nurses here, saw the post
war trend reversed today as CAL
linger Hospital prepared to train its
largest student group in recent
years.
The city hospital, among the
hardest hit by the nurse shortage.
tomorrow will greet 81 new candi-
dates for the 3-year course. Only
Is began their studies last August.
1t brought Gallinger's student
nurse strength temporarily to three
above the 135 whose pay was au.
thorized by Congress for the cur.
rent fiscal year.
Relief Due This Fall.
A survey of other nursing schools
mere confirmed prediction made in
The Star in April that relief was
que this fall for District hospitals
narassed by declining student nurse
enrolment since the war.
The hospital schools expect at
least twice as many candidates in
Septembers class as were admitted
for training in the previous course.
This development recalls a Nurse
Examining Board forecast last
spring that "the enrolment of stu
dent nurses will be increased for the
fall classes"
The board has been under fire by
commissioner Guy Mason, who con-
tended It's inSistence on high aca-
demic requirements for nurse train.
ing applicants was responsible for
reducing the number of girls enter.
ing the profession. No relaxation
OF standards has resulted from the
commissioners blast early this year.
Employment Shift Cited.
Miss Edith M. Beattie, executive
secretary of the Graduate Nurses
Association, attributed the rise in
enrolment to reduced employment
opportunities here in higher-paid
Government jobs.
L think the young women todav
are looking forward to preparing
for longtime career" she added
AT Emergency Hospital, which
drew onl," six candidates in it's Feb
ruary class and 13 last September.
III girls already have been accented
Tor the September 18 class and 70
more applications are expected to
oe cleared. Authorities hope for
almost 30 students.
Sibley Hospital will start a class
the same day. and has "a girls
already enrolled, with an expected
total OF 80 to IS, compared with
eight students in February.
st. Elizabeths Hospital alreadv
has filled its October l class to its
capacity of rs, whereas last wear
only 20 responded. GARFIELD,
Georgetown. Providence and Freed
mems Hospitals report prospects
are better than they were last wear.
with so students already accepted at
providence for a f1ve-year course
beginning September %.
Limited by Appropriations.
Although the private institutions
say they have facilities to teach
even more nurses than they have
signed up so far, Gallinger is linn
l1ed by the $85,125 appropriation
Congress allowed for training stu
cent nurses In 1947-48. DR.. Alvin
n. sweeney, superintendent, esti.
mates this sum Is sufficient to main.
Tain l35 students throughout the
fiscal year.
Gallinger now trains so student
nurses in addition to the 81 who will
oegin their instruction tomorrow
1t also provides instruction for 27
members OF the Cadet Nurse Corps
and "a students from affiliated in
stltutions. who come to Gallinger for
part of their training.
10 Its own students. Gallinper
pays $3.50 year, but $500 is deducted
Tor room. board and laundry facili-
Ties. The compensation was re-
ouced this year from SITS in order
70 permit more nurses to be trained
on the same appropriation, and DR..
Sweeney says the reduction does not
appear to have affected enrolment
materially. Most private hospitals
charge student nurses a small tut
ton fee.
Cadet Nurses Get $500.
Cadet nurses receive 5000 a wear
from the hospital, with the same de-
duction, while affiliated student
nurses get free room, board and
Laundry but no cash allowance from
Galllnger, and thus are estimated to
cost the hospital about $500 a year.
Some of Gallinger's student nurses
will complete their course this fall.
bringing the total below the 1876
average. But DR.. Sweeney says the
hospital is already taking applica.
tlons for its next class in February,
Officials hope for an even larger en-
rollment then, bringing the student
nurses again up to full authorized
strength.
OF the group entering the city
hospital tomorrow, IL are from the
District and Metropolitan area.
They are Shirley L. brennan.
6107 Forty-fourth avenue, Riverdale,
Md; Shirley F. Fairbanks, 3ol East
Marshall street, Falls Church, Va;
Elinor M. Flick, 1923 Thirteenth
street NV; Doris w. Gargas, 1920
Thirteenth street NV; Nancy A.
Llewellyn, 321 Eighteenth street Sc:
Anna L. Ludke, 1900 Walnut avenue
Sc; Dolores M. Mentges, 204 PARK
boulevard Sc; Willie R. Needham,
1881 Monroe street NV; Jane S.
Pickett, pol Washington boulevard,
District Heights. Md; Jane j.
Ridgeway, 1881 Mintwood place
NV; Elva C. Whit, Alexandria,
Va, and Nancy A. Wilkinson, 4l0
B street NE.