Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-15
Groups Back
Practical Nurse
Licensing Bill

Legislation to give the Dis
trict power to license practical
nurses won Endorsement from a
number Of organizations at a
hearing yesterday conducted by
Senator Morse. Democrat Of
Oregon.
One nurses group, the Amer
lean Nurses Association. urged
a sitter law, however, Mrs.
Julia c. Thompson, represent
ing the association, said the
public would gain little real
protection-the purpose Of the
licensing-unless stricter con-
trolls were provided than those
advocated by city officials.
Licensing Requirements
The bill sponsored by the
District Commissioners would
permit present unlicensed prac-
tical nursing to continue but
would allow the Commissioners
to establish license require
ments If they wish to. City
leaders have indicated they in
tend to do so.
c. Belden White. assistant
corporation counsel. said man.
datory licensing would deprive
some persons now working as
practical nurses Of a livelihood.
The pending bill. introduced
at the city's request. would bar
practical nurses from repre-
senting themselves as being
| licensed II they were unlicensed
but it would not bar them from
carrying on their vocation
without a license.
Nurses Board
The District registers pro-
fesSional nurses and would
continue to do so under the
proposed new law. 1t also would
be empowered to establishing
nurses examining board. in
Guiding practical nurses which
could set licensing rules for
practical as well as professional
graduate nurses.
Mrs. Thompson said the law
ought to be amended to make
creation of the licensing board
mandatory. A spokesman for
the Graduate Nurses Associa-
ton also spoke up for sitter
requirements but said the group
had decided not to oppose the
pending bill as 1t stands.
Health Director Daniel L.
Finucane and DR.. Eugene j.
Mcdonald of the District Medi-
cal Society, joined Commits
sioner David B. Karrick and
spokesman for several other
nursing groups in backing the
bill.
College Degrees Urged
Senator Morse also heard
witnesses support a bill au-
thorizing the granting of mas
ter degrees to some District
Teachers College students now
enrolled in a graduate program.
School Supt. Carl F. Hansen
said the city has a moral obli-
cation to let the students in
volved get the credit for the
work they are doing although
the city does not plan to con-
tinue the graduate program for
the present once the students
now enrolled complete their
work.
DR.. Hansen also urged APP
proval Of a bill permitting the
college, which is operated by
the District public school sys-
tenn. to create a two-year jun
Tor college. He stressed that the
junior college would not be in
tended by school authorities to
be an Opening wedge" for the
establishment of a four-year
city college, but added that he
thought the time would come
when a four-year general city
college could be justified.
DR.. Paul o. Carr, president
Of the college, called the junior
college IAN obligation to the
young people of this area"
Mrs. c. Rhodes Cox, presi-
dent Of the District Congress
of Parents and Teachers, and
representatives Of the League
of Women Voters, Americans
for Democratic Action and the
American Federation Of Teach
ers, backed the two college
bills.