The 1930s

100 Years of Texas Nursing Magazine

Meeting Disaster Calls

Clara D. Noyes, R.N.

Director Nursing Service, American Red Cross

Texas Graduate Nurses' Association Bulletin, September 1935

Clips from Texas Nurses' Bulletin explain why the Red Cross maintains an independent reserve to handle national emergencies and why the November 11–28 Roll Call is critical for the year ahead.

NURSES ARE NEEDED WHEN DISASTER STRIKES—when tornado, flood, fire, earthquake or dust storms devastate communities—leaving death, suffering and destruction, and it is only through the enrolled reserves of the Red Cross that such help can be summoned without delay. In the past year the Red Cross has ministered to the victims of more than 100 disasters, sometimes helping sufferers of many as thirty-eight different disasters simultaneously.

Thirty-three nurses were called to the hastily improvised temporary hospitals in the Middle West, when dust storms struck those communities, to give aid to those suffering from respiratory ailments caused by the dust. Before their work was completed floods swept over Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska, inundating the dust swept area and other sections, causing injuries and distress which necessitated nursing service. Nurses were called by the Red Cross to help stem an especially virulent epidemic of malaria in North Carolina and on almost every disaster front where the Red Cross served it was necessary to provide nursing care outside of that available from local facilities. Nurses have also served in hundred of temporary first aid stations established by Chapters to meet special demands, performing this service on a volunteer basis.

Nurses responding to the Red Cross disaster calls have done splendid work under difficult circumstances and rendered a service just as vital, if less spectacular, as that performed overseas in the Worth War. To meet these emergency nursing demands a large reserve must be maintained by the Red Cross in order to avoid disturbing hospital and visiting nurse service and interfering with private duty work.

Maintaining an adequate reserve of nurses is an expense which the Red Cross must meet from its annual membership dues received at Roll Call and I appreciate the fact that nurses throughout the Nation have always been staunch supporters of our organization, both as volunteers and as members. The Red Cross looks to them for help during Roll Call—November 11 to 28—and expects each enrolled Red Cross nurse to join as a Red Cross member and urge her friends to do likewise. TN

Nurses responding to the Red Cross disaster calls have done splendid work under difficult circumstances and rendered a service just as vital, if less spectacular, as that performed overseas in the Worth War.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF NURSES

ATTENDANCE

London had prepared for 3000 visitors, according to the registrations through Cook & Son. The first day of the meeting it was found that the badges and programs were giving out so 1000 more were ordered. The final registration was close to 4000. There were 41 countries represented. Programs and all papers were written in English, French and German. No paper took more than twenty minutes, discussions more than fifteen minutes and discussions from the floor were limited to five minutes. No person could speak twice on the same subject.

The meetings were divided into four Sections as follows:

NURSING EDUCATION

  • Preparation and Preliminary Education.
  • General Nursing Education, Curriculum, etc.
  • Nursing in Relation to Physical Medicine.
  • Post Graduate Education.

ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

  • The Nurse Administrator.
  • Organization of Nurses.
  • Nursing Legislation.
  • The Progress of Mental Nursing.
  • Some Careers Open to Registered Nurses.

PUBLIC HEALTH

  • The Health of the Community.
  • Qualifications of Public Health Nurses.
  • The Organization of Community Health Work.
  • Organization of Visiting Nurses Urban and Rural.

NURSING PROBLEMS

  • The Professional Responsibility of the Nurse as a Citizen.
  • Need for Compulsory Registration of Nurses.
  • Unemployment Among Nurses and Its Remedy.
  • Nursing of the Chronic Sick.
  • How To Create an Ideal Red Cross Nursing Service.

* * *

Special Services at St. Paul's Cathedral, with His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury preaching the Sermon, and at Westminster Abbey, with His Grace the Archbishop of Westminster as preacher, were attended by thousands of nurses and was most inspiring.

On Monday morning at 9 a.m. a beautiful Organ Recital was given. At 10 a.m. Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, gave a short address of welcome and declared the Eighth Quadrennial International Congress of Nurses open. Dame Alicia Lloyd Still, President of the I.C.N., presided. An address of welcome was given by the Right Hon. Sir Kingsley Wood, M.P., Minister of Health, and many other dignitaries bade the nurses welcome.

The reports of standing and special committees were given, and also of officers and the opening meeting adjourned at noon.

There was a General Session on Wednesday evening. Mrs. Bedford Fennick presided. The Royal Army Medical Band played selections. All National Presidents were introduced. The representatives of the newly affiliated Organizations were then introduced. Australia was welcomed by Great Britain, Switzerland was welcomed by Miss Francis of the U.S. A., and Roumania by France. Each new member responded most graciously. The band played the National Anthem of the country and a girl Guide marched on the platform with a National Flag, placed it in a holder and stood back. When all three were in place the Guides stepped forward and saluted them. A Florence Nightingale Oration was given by Sir George Newman, who has made a life study of Miss Nightingale and her works. It was a marvelous revelation to us and we heard many things which we never heard before. Speeches were made by the Minister from Switzerland and Sister Larsson of Norway. After the singing of God Save The King, the meeting adjourned.

Saturday the Congress closed with Effie Taylor, the New President, in the chair. By the applause of the delegates, the choice of the President from the U.S. A. and the fact that the meeting in 1941 would be held in the U.S.A. was well received.

The History of Nursing Pageant, produced at one of the theaters was the most beautiful I have ever seen. The costumes and scenery were gorgeous.

A breakfast for the, members of the A.N.A. who were in London was arranged for Friday morning near the Hall. 147 attended and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Miss Roberts told the members about the Garden Party for the Grand Council at Buckingham Palace at which time the two Queens were hostesses.

Eighteen social functions had been arranged for the visitors and invitations were found in with the program. Many of the nurses attended these parties and reported a good time.

The opinion of your Secretary is that this was the most enjoyable Congress she has attended, principally due to the arrangement of the program, the beginning and stopping of meetings on time, the work of the interpreters, the free discussions and time allowed for them and the grand weather.

* * *

Texas was well represented among the 260 who attended from the U.S.A. Those whose credential blanks were signed at Headquarters were: Miss E.L. Brient, Miss Leissner, Mrs. Gerlach and Mrs. Battersby from San Antonio, Miss Millican and Miss Yarborough from Fort Worth, Miss Radcliffe from Amarillo, Miss Kohler and Miss Rea from Dallas, Miss Peters, Miss Frost and Miss Parker from Galveston, Mrs. Rose from Wichita Falls, Miss Mohr from Austin, and A. Louise Dietrich from El Paso. There were probably others from Texas. Miss Katherine Dick, who is a member from Houston but works in Massachusetts, was also there. Texas is credited with 20 representatives. TN