Nurse Shortage

The U.S. needs about 84,000 student nurses. The U.S. goal for new enrollment by July 1 is only 65,000, because nursing schools can handle no more. Even this goal is not being met because : 1 ) defense jobs pay well, and a nursing education is expensive; 2) courses are long; 3) the life of a student nurse lacks appeal because of long hours and restrictions.

Steps in the right direction, wrote Nurse Alma C. Haupt in last week's American Journal of Public Health, are Public Health Service tuition scholarships and the proposal to shorten the nursing course to 30 months (24 to 28 for college graduates) instead of the usual three years. Another right step: a bill, passed by Congress and signed a fortnight ago, which provides for a Student War Nursing Reserve--tuition, maintenance, a little spending money and uniforms for 65,000 new student nurses and 36,000 others already taking courses. Costing $65,000,000 a year, the program probably will soon be under way.

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