LEAGUE OF RED CROSS SOCIETIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 257, 24 July 1920, Page 8

LEAGUE OF RED CROSS SOCIETIES

THE TRAINING OP NURSES,

TJie following letter from- Mis Alice FitzGernld, director of the Department of Nursing, I/eaguo cf Red Cross _ Socielies, wis md at a recent meeting of the New Zealand Executive Committee of the Red Cross in Wellington, in ■which plft' l is formulated for tlio training of public health nurses. The executive resolved: "That tins committee cordially approves of the scheme set out in Miss FitzGerald's letter," and appointed' a sub-committee, consisting of the chairman (Hon. Dr. W. E. Collins), Mrs. J. P. Luke, Mrs. W. H. Sefton Moorhouse, and Miss Sybil Nathan to deal with the matter of suggesting the names of suitable nurses for nomination. _ Each of the other centres to be similarly requested to forward nominations by July 31. Hie letter is as follows:— "As a result of the conference of the League of Red Cross Societies held in Geneva in March of this year, the League of Red Cross Societies has decided to develop and carry out a plan for training public health nurses, which was discussed at the time of the conference. , ... ; "Tho announcement, which is' enclosed in this communication, will convey to you the plan which the League of Bed Cross Societies hopes to carry out and the procedure which will be adopted to do this. It js intended to ask the Rod Cross societies of all the countries represented in tho leacpie to send ono or moro nurses to take tlio course in publio health nursing, which has been arranged for them nt Kings College for Women in London. "In order to enable this scheme to lie carricd.out, it is suggested that scholarships be offered ,by the Red Cross societies of each country, covering all expenses of maintenance, tuition, and travelling. "Tho League of Red Cross Societies has set aside a sufficient fund to offer a limited number of scholarships, and these will be awarded to tho countries of which tho Red Cross societies are struggling in the early stages of their development or suffering from tho aftereffects of war.- ' . . "In ondw,. however, to make this scheme entirely successful and of the greatest benefit to all students, it is quite essential that nurses from other countries should be sent to join this pioneer group of women in London. Tho fact that, in some countries, nurses can obtain the fame training nearer at hand does not release you from the moral obligation of assisting us to make this scheme a success. Unless nurses who are graduates of good schools nnd who have had advantages offered by the more developed countries encourage their colleagues from less favoured countries hy supporting them nnd working with them, they fall to show the new international nursing spirit. Ntu:.»es sent from your country, carefully selected' by your association, will, through _ their Very presence, add prestige to this frst class of international students, and the group will not be complete without them. , . . , '' "It must also be borno in .mind that this opportunity for meeting women from so many different countries and of interchanging ideas and of discussing problems with them, will greatly assist to broaden the views and stimulate the work of each and nil. "May I, therefore, urge that your Red Cross Society make it possible, by raising the necessary funds for one or more students to register as soon as feasible for tho snecial course in public health nursing, which has been arranged for them at King's College for Women, University of London. I will appreciate an early reply, both by cablegram, announcing your willingness to share in this scheme, and by letter, giving the necessary information abflut the nurse selected by you. "The nurses registered for this course should reach London at, the end of September, as ithe course starts October 1, 1920."