SHORTAGE OF NURSES
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—The letters published by you on the question of the Shortage of Nurses " are most interesting.
Miss Bacon speaks for many of us in her appreciation of the extraordinary variety and opportunities and the real experience of life and humanity to be gained in the exercise of our profession. All can be grist that comes to our mill, and it is not a treadmill either, in spite of the anti-discipline contingent. For what service, profession or trade has not its ranks, grades, discipline and etiquette ?
Nurses are like cooks, always needed somewhere, and it should be more generally recognized that a trained certificated nurse can choose her own career. For those who like Institutional and Communal life there are hospitals and nursing homes, for the free-lance there is service abroad, or private or district or visiting nursing and other branches of the service all involving varied intercourse and experience.
As the Great War taught us, many women and girls have the nursing instinct but have not had the chance of exercising it. Before 1914 certain London hospitals allowed members of V.A.D. detachments to spend some weeks in hospital as visitor probationers to see the work and life from the inside.
I do not know if this is still done, but I can testify from personal experience that it is a good trial scheme and that a great deal can be learnt, and even if the course is not pursued the experience is most useful.—I am, Sir, &c., A ST 41'2. REGISTERED NURSE.
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