Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - Record Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 87 text:

The department of Transportation has had, and is having, its hands full. With all the millions of things made, such as garments, surgical dressings, etc., they have been a busy people and have accomplished wonders. And we must say to their credit, that with all the hardships and disadvantages under which they have worked, they have been most successful. Through them our supplies have in safety reached the other side. . Home Nursing is a course, of fifteen lessons taught by a Red Cross nurse who has been authorized from Washington, as a teacher. She receives 51545.00 for the said course, which is both practical and theoretical. . At the end of fifteen lessons the class is examined by an examiner, and a certificate sent from Washingto.n. This does not mean that a pupil is a nurse, but it does mean that she may serve as a nurse's aid, if needed. Such service is strictly voluntary. The First Aid Course must be taught by a doctor who has been authorized to do so. He is paid 54.00 a lesson, which also consists of Hfteen lessons to a course. Certificates are also given if this examination hasbeenf passed. At the completion of Home Nursing and First Aid Courses, the members of the classes sometimes take a three months' course in a hospital, which serves to gather up the loose ends, make them more efiicient, and rounds out their course as a nurse's aid. Most important of all these departments is the garment and surgical dressing' department. They are most strict in their way of doing things, and are putting out enormous amounts of work. The instructor in this department need not be a nurse, but she must have had a course in this work. All over the country, in small villages, intermediate towns, and in cities, if you could see at a glance, you would find women working morning, noon and night, knitting, sewing, and making sur- gical dressings. Most of them are busy women, too, who have homes to care for and business toattend to, and still willingly, ss l i

Page 86 text:

The American Red Cross IBY BERTHA J. WoLD, R. Nj Since war broke out in 1914, and especially since our en- trance into the war, the American National Red Cross has sprung from a verytminor institution to one of tremendous power. We had at the beginning very few members, active or honorary, and now many of all our citizens, and all of our intelligent ones have joined. We have borne our share of the work abroad and with great credit to us as a nation. Practically, at first, the nursing corps composed most of our Red Cross, and in comparison with the number of graduate nurses in the U. S., this number was not large. Since war has been declared, most of our younger nurses have taken their State Board examination as soon. as possible, and have joined the Red Cross at once. So we have today a large number of eflicient women, ready for duty at home or abroad, who are loyal and self-sacrihcing, thinking only of the welfare of others. ' r ' The other departments, into which our Red Cross has been divided, are as follows: T ' l. Dietetics. Z. Transportation. 3. Home Nursing. 4. First Aid. 5. Surgical Dressings. The course in Dietetics has so far not been a very popular one. It seems as if the women, although cooking is one of the most important things in their line, would much rather be nearer the Held of action? than in the kitchen. But per- haps their natural instincts will exert themselves so strongly, some day, that they will Hood. our department of Dietetics. sz

Page 88 text:

if they have an- hour to spare, will join these busy work rooms where so much good is being done. We have a splendid course here in our own city, at 221 S. l9th Street, with Miss Anna Rogers as Chief Supervisor, formerly Directress of Nurses at U. of P. Hospital. They graduate a great number of classes, and at once, these women are snatched up to teach in some part of the country where they have no instructor. The American Red Cross has grown wonderfully, and we are proud of it. The war has brought out the best in the character of America. You, the class of 1918, who will soon be graduated from a splendid Hospital, will be in a position to do a wonderful lot of good, either at home or abroad. Are you going to swell the number of the Nursing Corps who are willing to give much, if not all, to their Red Cross, or are you going to sit back and idly look on as the busy world passes your door? Fate has placed a wonderful opportunity in your path, for never againlin our life-time will we have a chance to help win right, in such a war as this. Think it over seriously for it is an age of Service and Sacri- fice. We who are young and strong, must take the places of our nurses who have already given their best years and strength to the service of the Red Cross. For 'f'After the verb :To Love,' 'To Help' is the most beautiful verb in the worldf' 84