| Show continuation of nurses training to Provi defor thousands of qualified hospital I 1 assistants by walter A shead staff correspondent A total of girls and young women of which number 59 percent or approximately come from small towns of 0 and under population are enrolled in the nurses training courses sponsored by the united states public health service of the federal security agency these girls are arc entrained in what is more commonly called the cadet nurses training corps and the erroneous impression has been largely fostered that they must enter the army and navy service upon graduation this is untrue however since since the law providing for the training of these nurses says they are trained tor for the armed forces governmental and civilian health war industries and for other and ana where the nurses decide to practice Is entirely voluntary on their part they may decide to stay in civilian practice or to go into the ar army y or navy but emphasis Is placed upon the voluntary nature of 0 their service As Is the case in most war projects particularly where money for or operation comes from some other source there Is considerable confusion in the public health service as this Is written its as to whether the governmental government at training of 0 nurses under the act will continue the law setting up the program provides that the act shall cease upon the date of termination of hostilities tili ties in the present war as determined by the president or upon such earlier date as the cong congress Fess by concurrent resolution or the president may designate the student nurses already enrolled in the program will be ba able to finish their courses because the law provides that all student nurses who were receiving training or course ninety days prior to end of 0 hostilities or declaration by congress or the president may be graduated no further enrollments are being accepted in the cadet nurses corps those with more than DO 90 days of training us as of VJ V J day will vill be retained in their present hospital assignments sign ments until they have com complex ed the SO 80 to 30 months of training provided A movement has been started in congress to have the life of the cadet nurses corps continued during peace time thousands to graduate thirty thousand young women will become graduate nurses this fall as the new class prepares to enter the course and w while hile the armed aimed forces likely will urge these graduates to enter upon hospital duty within the services it may be that the need elsewhere will be more urgent at any rate it will be optional with the graduate as to where they go cost of sending these nurses through a 21 24 month course Is approximately 1250 to the government so the cost of the training so far has been about in addition the government with lanham act funds from the federal works agency has constructed some new projects including buildings laboratories and other equipment at a cost to the government of and to the private hospitals of the new construction has provided faculties facilities for students what will come of these new buildings when the emergency ends has not definitely been decided likely they will be declared surplus war properties and be disposed of through tile the reconstruction finance I 1 corporation with preference or priority being given to the institution where they are constructed under the provisions of the law thi the government pays h hospitals 08 which have inaugurated a nurses training course under the provisions of the act for maintenance meals laundry and rooms andor and for indoor and outdoor uniforms text books and other fees also the government pays the hospitals which in turn pay the girls 15 per month for the first nine months and 20 per month for the th next fifteen months or until their training Is completed where the course runs more than two years girls get flet 30 per month for tho the last six eix months cost of maintenance averages approximately 35 to 40 per month for each girl at the present time the public health service has approved 1110 nurses training schools out of a possible 1250 schools in hospitals in the united states and according to records odthe public health service about 80 per cent of the nursing service in hospitals where such training schools are in progress comes from the cadet nurse students th the course also makes provision slon for postgraduate post graduate courses for graduate nurses to become supervisors or teachers and approximately have been enrolled in these courses which are shorts short lasting up to approximately six els months according to Inform information atlon here the recruitment bt bf nurses for these courses has been one of the most successful efforts in the war and has been the most reasonable in point ol of cost to the gover ament the public relations program Is in charge of mrs hire jenn jean henderson ne mulcahy of jacksonville ila fla a former news paile woman who prior to her coming to washington was for f or five f ive years director of public relations for the F florida lorada state board Boar dof of health i the cadet nurse corps Is one of the few organizations in the war which has been given an official flag and by action of dr thomas parran surgeon general and approved by paul V mcnutt federal security administrator the flag was ordered as a white rectangular field with a white maltese cross centered on a red oval superimposed on a rectangle of erny and below the cross insignia the words cadet nurse corps in regimental red lettering official flag to Is ordered displayed at sit all laduct induction loa ceremonies graduation exercises parades and at such other times as authorized by the surgeon general providence wat was first the first hospital in the united states to be approved for in installation of a cadet burse corps was providence hospital in washington D C the second being johns hap kirs in baltimore according to mrs mulcahy the providence hospital corps Is one of the model organizations in the country and under the direction of sister rita superintendent of nurses there for the past 12 years the cadet corps has been integrated with the five year university course which was also inaugurated by sister elta bita several years ago la in other words word at providence most applicants for cadet nurse nursa training are selected from among girls who have had at least two years college or university education and when they graduate they not only receive the coveted RN or registered steed nurse degree but they receive a bachelor of science degree from catholic university of america with which the hospital has affiliated tor for the course out of the more than girls inthe in the class at providence are college girls sl ster idita alta explains that out of an avalanche of applications she was able to make careful selection of girls with college training that they male make better students and that as a result of this careful selection providence hospital has had no disciplinary problems such as has been true in other hospitals where such u ch care was not exercised in tha lelee elee alon of applicants it may be that the experience with the cadet nurse corps at PI providence ovi will nark mark a turning point in the training of nurses throughout the country since sister rita la is planning to abandon tho the ordinary three year nurses curses training course which has been in vogue at most nurse training schools in favor of the longer course and a college science degree although the law provides for an insignia which may be worn wora on both indoor and outdoor uniforms the students at providence wear the same uniforms as students in regular training without insignia and there Is no distinction whatever made either in their training or in the treatment they receive by the hospital and few it if any of the cadet nurses at tills this school wear their outdoor uniforms to make them distinctive from the other girls in a total training school of girls large larg urban class in recruitment of the cadet nurses according to public he health alth service records 40 per cent come from towns and rural communities of less than 2500 population an additional 19 per cent come from towns of less than and only 9 per cent come from the large metropolitan cities mrs mulcahy explained explain ed this un usual proportion of trainees from the small towns in the fact that par ants felt that their daughters would be sheltered in proper environments that many of them had bad not been away from their home town cum corn and that they felt safer and more secure in pe permitting their entrance la in the cadet nurse corps both as i L patriotic move and as a security cuilty se for their future there has been little complaint incident to this important training course to provide lila additional addition afire nurses during the einer emergency gency particularly from the girls themselves most complaint mrs mulcahy remarked comes from parents who believe the girls should have the same payas pay ats privates in the army 50 per month th that the girls are riot not subject to veterans benefits and that they are not entitled to tree free mall mail to offset these however it it in II pointed out that the girls are receiving training for a ufa life work at the expense of their government and that despite need for nurses in the armed forces they are still free agents agent sto to practice when and where they will or to not practice at all if they should so BO desire it if they marry or far any other reason |
