THE ARMY'S NEED FOR NURSES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3128, 5 July 1917, Page 3

THE ARMY'S NEED FOR NURSES

LORD DEK.BFS APPEAL. / How urgently nurses were needed in. England two or three weeks a-lttr the great offensive was begun is snown Dy ine , l'ollow?<ig appeal made by Lord Derby,-and printeu in the London "Daily Telegraph" un April 27. Since then long lists oi casualties have been daily appearing, ana if our own lists' wore Jiorri- , tying, it is not dilliculty to realise how long must be the lists' that have been printed daily in tho English papers. i That Australia has realisect the neeu for nurses has been-shown'by the fact that . only a few weeks ago a very large number loft for- Salonika, and u litUe later yet another body was to leave' for other fields of work. Further more, with a view to releasing nurses for war service, the governing authorities of the Adelaide Hospital have decided that nurses may sit for their final examination after they have been in. training for two and a half years, and immediately they qualify ■ they are engaged "as sisters for the remaining six months of their threo years' course, at , an increase of salary equivalent-to .£SO a year. By promoting the probationer nurses in this way tho hospital finds it posible to release some of the trained members of the staff for war service. The urgency of the present need for more nurses was pointed out by Surgeon-General Fetherston, DirectorGeneral of Medical Services.

Lory Derby'e appeal is as follows: — (To the Editor of the "Daily Telegraph.")

"Sir,—Within-* the last few days the Government has had to call upon tho medical profession,for the services of more of its members, in order to meet the situation caused by. the dastardly toi-pedoing. of hospital ships by theenemy. It is necessary, in order to complete, .hospital establishments that a similar demand should be made upon nurses for their services, and I venture now to make that appeal. Fully-trained nurses are a most urgent need; they must be forthcoming immediately and in -.large numbers. But 1 feel that, just as in the case of doctors, it is necessary to safeguard the welfare of the population at Home, and. that nursps should only be secured with flic co-op- s eration and goodwill of the authorities of every civil hospital, poor law infirmary, and institution-supplying nurees. I therefore appeal to these authorities to review at once their present staffs of nurses, and to set at liberty for military service every available certificated nurse who is willing to serve, and I would ask that the. names of such nurses ■should at once be reported- to the secretary, War Office, Adastial House,/ Embankment. E.C. i. I also appeal.to every "nurse who has. retired from her profession to offer her services to'her trainSi ■ " "'■ '

ing school or to ono of the local institutions and hospitals, in order that she may thereby enable-, the authorities of those institutions to release u nurse capable of undertaking the more strenuous duties of military service. I also appeal to those trained nurses who have left the 'military service to consider whether they will not again enrol themselves in that service. Finally, X appeal ' to every nurse who is in possession of a three-years' certificate i'or general training, who is free to offer her services to apply at onco to. the Matron-in-Chief, War Office, Adastial House, Einbaukment, E.C. i. 1 cannot end this appeal without making a reference to the splendid work of nurses for the sick and wounded, and to the courage- , and devotion to duty displayed umler fire, in the field, and in mined and torpedoed hospital ships in this war. The nursing service lias a.glorious record, and 1 feel confident that many will now answer to tho call to join a service which has done so much for the country, and to which the country owes such a debt of gratitiMo.—T am, sir, your obedient servant, "(Signed) DERBY." "April 2.7."