Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing - Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Dedication To the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Nurses and Doctors of the 6th General Hospital, who so willingly answered the call of their country and whose steadfast devotion to their duties has carved an immemorable niche in our plans for victory and the future.

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To the Class of 1945: All nurses are enlisted in the combat against disease and death. War expands this combat into new geographical regions, against hitherto little known diseases and under conditions utterly unlike those met with in civil life. Throughout your student life your country has been at war. The expansion of our Army and Navy brought correspondingly great expansion of the Army and Navy Nurse Corps. At the same time civilian needs for nurses in hospitals, industry and public health also increased. To meet these wartime needs the enrollment in Schools of Nursing was increased and the Cadet Nurse Corps was established under the direction of the United States Public Health Service. Furthermore, the accepted curricu- lum of three years was so accelerated that the required courses of instruction and required ward experience were completed in thirty months. This has meant longer hours of study and harder work, which you have uncomplainingly accepted as one of your contributions to the war effort. This acceleration freed you from all required classes and clinical experience during the last six months and, therefore, made you available to give uninter- rupted nursing service to the patients in governmental or civilian hospitals. Here was another contribution that you made to the war effort. You are now completing your course of study. The com- pletion of any serious course of study leading to graduation into a profession is always an important achievement. To be- come a Graduate Nurse now is a real adventure. Never before have there been so many opportunities for nurses. Never before have they had so many obligations to meet. Your immediate obligation is to enter the field of service, where you can make your greatest contribution to the war effort. You graduate at a time when both individually and collectively you can do much to alleviate human suffering and to make this a better world. Class of 1945, we of the Massachusetts General Hospital salute you and wish you success and happiness. May you always be proud of the fact that you are graduates of the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing and may we always be proud of you. Sincerely yours, Nathaniel W. Faxon, M.D.. Director Massachusetts General Hospitil Page Six

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A D M I N I S T R A T I O N Throughout the hospital no other group has worked more energetically, nor forged ahead more progressively than the Administration itself. In the face of war-time shortages and complications, our Administration has combined its forces and concentrated its efforts to bring about literally the greatest good for the greatest number. One night supervisor, as well as a medical supervisor and an assistant in charge of volunteers have recently been added to the staff. The improvement of personnel practices has been paramount among the Administration ' s objectives. In November, 1944 the cafeteria was put on a new all-cash basis, thus offering graduates and students alike increased opportunities for choice in the cafeteria and graduates the choice of living in or living out. Of interest, too, is the new volunteer unit recently organized for the Central Supply Room. It is significant to note that despite the overwhelming shortages confronting it, the Administration strove con- sistently to uphold efficient standards. The past year saw the closing down for only one month of two more wards, one in the General Hospital, and one in the Baker. All in all, our Administration has maintained a broad view- point, and has handled with skill any number of time- consuming and thought-provoking problems. We brought to them our restless youth.” Page Eight