Evening star., 1951-10-16

transfer of a crew of nurses for
merly assigned to the blood center,
at 1870 E street NV, to a new
bloodmobile which began operat-
ing here recently.
The Red Cross has had two
bloodmobiles here. The third was
added to help get the 3 million
pints of blood which the armed
forces have asked from the Nation
by next July.
The Washington-area goal In
the new blood drive is 10000 pints
a month, or 500 donors each week.
day. It includes blood for direct
shipment to Korea and that reg
ularly collected for area hospitals.
Donations at the blood center
have zoomed recently. A few
weeks ago 100 a day was unusual.
Last Friday there were ITO, and
the number on one recent day
was an impressive $50.
Now. because of the nurse
situation, the center finds it
necessary to cut the daily roster
back to around 100 scheduled.
plus 20 or Is unscheduled walk
ms" And it will be at least a
month before capacity will be
boosted again, even if new nurses
are hired promptly, according to
DR.. Kenneth r. Nelson, the CEN
ter's director.
This won't necessarily ruin
chances of making the areas 500
a-day donor quota, for with the
three bloodmobiles the combined
donor capacity still will be around
$50. But the bloodmobiles don't
always get capacity turnouts.
And some donors in the District
at least those who aren't served
by bloodmobile visits to Govern
ment ofices-are likely to face
delay in seeking to give at the
center. DR.. Nelson admitted.
Campaign Continues.
This doesn't mean Red Cross
isn't still trying to drum up in
terest in donating, however. DIR.
Nelson emphasized that the drive
won't stop, even temporarily.
He pointed out that on days
when one or more bloodmobiles
don't have to be fully manned,
some of their staff can be as
signed to the center and more
donors can be taken there.
And the center soon hopes to
have more nurses. Permission to
hire six new ones already has been
asked of the national Red Cross
and is expected to be granted
shortly, DR.. Nelson said.
The reason it will take at least
q month to get back on a buster
schedule is that the nurses must
be especially trained for their job
This is so even though all must
be graduate, registered nurses
licensed to practice here, with
years experience in an operating
room or public health service, DR.
Nelson pointed out.
Nurse Staff of 81.
The blood center -bloodmobilt
nurse staff now totals 81. A nurse
is assigned to two beds, and the
center has IA beds. Until the new
nurses can be hired and trained
only eight will be in regular use
Nurses also help examine pros
pective donors and take medica
histories).
It is not certain that new nurses
will be available Immediately. 4
serious nurse shortage now is caus
ing concern in this area, in hos
pitals and nursing homes as wei
as the Red Cross. If nurses shoult
prove unobtainable, the blood pro
gram could be faced with the cur
rent difficulty Indefinitely.
DR.. Nelson said he hopes, how
ever, to be able to recruit t~'
added staff. He has said the ares
should be able to produce 600
instead of merely 500, pints O
blood daily in order to set al
example to the Nation.
The biggest headache at th'
center, according to the director
is the failure of some donors II
make appointments in advance
The smallest number of thes
since a month ago, when the nev
drive started, has been % in
day. The largest was 1877 on Sep
tember "a. On most days. ther
are more than the center cal
handle conveniently.
Sometimes we've had to asl
them to come back, when there
been too big a crowd on hand al
ready" Glenn Reynolds. tn
center's recruitment director
explained.
Occasionally a phone caller ais
k~mA To he asked to poStpone plaY1