Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-05-14

and white nurses can do 10 make
il possible for nurses TO be rec
ognized for professional quail.
fications rather than by race first,
A native of Pittsburgh. Pa,
Miss Mari. herself, has been IN
example Of progress for Negro
nurses. A graduate OF the Har.
lem hospital School Of Nursing In
New York In 1871 with a BIS. and
MA. degree from Teachers col.
lege Of Columbia university. Miss
Mari served as an instructor In
nursing education at Teachers
college 1944-49 and as supervisor
Of nursing education, New York
State education department, 1851
81 before taking her present post
tn February. 1858.
Situation Facing Negro Nurses
She listed the following in.
equities facing Negro nurses:
/. They seldom (a) are employ,
ed by agencies using nursing per.
sonnet for positions above staff
nurse level such as supervisors
teachers. administrators. regard.
less Of their qualifications. tbD at.
tend a program, meeting. work
shop or institute sponsored by pro.
fessional nursing organizations al
which they hear or see a racial
minority group person serve a.
guest speaker or n resource per.
son available TO the nurses.
(c) Rarely are they nominated
or elected TO district, state or ma.
tionAl nursing association offices
or appointed to committees OF
these groups. I'd seldom benefit
from services OF professional reg.
istries on Same basis and prin.
ciples governing the listing Of
white nurses.
(e) Have little evidence that &C,
tual problems they face are in
vestigated in northern communi.
ties where too often district and
state association say they have nc
interRroup relations problems.
90 Negro nurses hardly ever
are assigned to white patients Ir
hospitals, even In the North. They
always get the excuse white pa.
tents might object. tg) They sal.
dom are accepted by graduate
schools OF nursing in the South.
Problems faced by Negro stu,
dent nurses were listed by Miss
Mari a. follows:
1. Schools which say they ad,
init Negro students often do moi
make their policies clear 10 guid.
ance councillors In high schools
and colleges or to the Negro pop,
ulation In the community.
2. Negro students often viii moi
apply TO the school Of their choice
They usually select schools which
traditionally have accepted them
3. Negro parents often guide thsir
children only TO schools which al
ways have accepted them.
Negro nurses themselves, Mia,
Mari said, many times are IN.
cause OF their own drawbacks. A,
mong her criticisms were:
/. Negro nurses too often Dc
not apply for positions for which
they are qualified in employing
agencies which have not Away
accepted Negro nurses. 2 The,
fail TO join or 10 participate &C
lively In district and state nurs
ing associations. the ANA and Ma
tional League for Nursing actI
vftiea.
.. Too often they sit togethel
or fail TO get 70 know white nur
ses IN various association actIyi
ties. 4. At meetings they fail Z,
speak out On matters before IN.
professional organization othe,
than race relations problems.
Despite the tnequities stiIl sx
listing. Miss Mari said. Negr,
nurses have an iTlustrious histor,
Of progress IN the profession. S..
included . long list Of achieve
msnts.
Before World War n only 4.
schools Of nursing accepted Ne
groes, compared with 10 today
Except for . few IN Word War I
no Negro nurses were Commission
ed IN the armed forces until
word War II Today they ar,
commissioned and upEraded IN,
same ~ white nurses on an IN
ereasing basis IN an branches O
the service.
Although the employment pic
ture N not deal they are beini
wen hired On q STAFF level and q
. limited degree they are gainfnl
higher po@ationa The ANA Itssi
employs two professional nurses
Miss Mar and Jsanstts campbeE
o. executive s~crrtaF1sa. q nunnb~
of Negro secretaries. and ths Ma
tionAI League for Nursing en-
fCamfRma,aA a.n omws A