Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 238, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1920 — HONORED by RED CROSS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HONORED by RED CROSS

Six American Nurses Awarded Florence ... » • Nightingale Medal J-rm ttTTTTTTTi IIi

——T"T| EX American women have been awarded the Florence. Nightingale medal. This medal is the highest decoration H of tlie nursing world. * It is awarded by the X _ International Committe * of Cross, Geneva. It tiiay be awarded to only one nurse of a nation each year. Thus these six women represent America's high roll of nursing since the outbreak of the Great War In 1914. The Florence Nightingale medal was established in 1912. It can be awarded “only to trained nurses who may have especially distinguished themselves by great and exceptional devotion to the sick and wounded in peace or war." The Florence Nightingale medal is Well named. Florence Nightingale (1830-1910) was the pioneer of trained army nursing. She was an Englishwoman, born in Florence. She became interested in nursing early and went through courses of training in France and Germany. She then made a study of hospital methods in Europe. She became the friend of the ragged schools and other similar institutions of London. Opportunity knocked at her door in the Crimean waft In 1854 reports of the awful conditions surrounding the wounded and sick reached London and she sailed for Scutari with a staff of 38 volunteer nurses. There she tohed until the British troops left the town in 185 ft. Her nightly round of the wards won for her from the soldiers the title of “Lady With the Lamp." She not only nursed the sick and wounded but started educational classes and organised reading. Fame rewarded her. Her country made her a • gift of $250,000. With thia she founded a training home for nurses. Soon she became a general adviser of the civilized world in matters of nursing and sanitary reform. Her example and Influence brought about the organization of the Red Cross society. She wrote “Notes on Hospitals" (1859) and “Notes on Nursing" (i 860 So the name of Florence Nightingale calls up a brave picture of womanly devotion, made more valuable by trained skill. The records of the six American women honored with the Florence Nightingale medal show that they are worthy recipients of this highly-prized decoration. The six nurses are: Helen Scott Hay, Washington, D. a Florence Merriam Johnson, New York City. Martha M. Russell, Boulder, Colo. Alma E. Foerster, Chicago, HL Linda K. Meirs, Boston, Mass. Mary E. Gladwin, New York City. All six of these nurses saw service abroad. Following Is a condensed record of their training and services: Miss Hay, present chief nurse of the American Red Cross commission for Europe, is a graduate of NorthWestern university and the Illinois Training School for Nurses, Chicago. Her career Includes service as head nurse at lowa State Hospital for the Insane; superintendent of nurses in county institutions. Dunning, BL; superintendent of Pasadena hospital and of the Illinois Training School for Nurses. She went overseas in charge of American Red Cross nurses on the Red Cross ship in 1914 and became chief nurse of Unit “C," Kief, Russia; was appointed director, bureau of in-

structlon, department of nursing, American Red Cross, Washington, In 1917; organized army school for nursing for war department, 1918; was detailed as chief nurse of American Red Cross commission to Balkan states.

Miss Johnson is a member of the faculty of the department of nursing and health. Teachers’ college, Columbia university. She was graduated from Smith college and from the. New York Hospital Training School for Nurses and has been connected with the Cornell university medical dispensary, Ithaca, N. Y., the pediatric department of the New York M. Y. U. and B. H. dispensary; has done social service work for the association for the improvement of the condition of the poor and for Harlem hospital. As director of the department of nursing of the Atlantic division, American Red Cross, she had charge of the' equipment, embarkation and debarkation of over 10,000 nurses going overseas for duty, one of the conspicuous nursing achievements of the war. Miss Russell was appointed first representative of the American Red Cross nursing service in France in July, 1917, to organize Red Cross nursing activities there. She served with the Atlantic division department of nursing, summer of 1918, becoming superintendent of nurses. University hospital, Boulder, Colo, in September. Miss Russell Is a graduate of the New York Hospital Training School for Nurses; has been head nurse. Medical hospitaL New York, and Norton Infirmary, Louisville, Ky.; visiting nurse, Henry Street settlement. New York City; connected with Lytng-ln hospital. Providence, R. 1.. Jones hospitaL Pittsburgh, Pa., and superintendent of Sloane Maternity hospital. New York City. Miss Meirs went to France with the American Red Cross, but was transferred to the army nurse corps. Most of her work was done very near the front, sometimes under fire. Once her hospital was bombed. She was head of the nurses in hospitals at Jouy-sur-Norin, Chateau Thierry. TouL Fleury-sur-Aire. In March. 1918, she was released from the army and assigned as chief nurse of the Marine hospitaL U. S. public health service, Boston. Mass. Miss Meirs is a graduate of the Philadelphia Hospital Training School for Nurses, and has served at the Prince’s Eye, Ear and Nose hospital. Springfield, BL, Mlnnequa

hospitaL Pueblo, Colo.; Mayo Brothers’ hospital, Rochester, Minn.; American hospital, Mexico City. She went overseas on the Red Cross ship, serving with unit “G," Germany, In 1914; was assigned to army nurse corps, Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, 1916, going with the American Red Cross commission to Roumanla in 1917. She was decorated by the Roumanian government Miss Foerster sailed ■on the Red Cross ship for service in Russia In 1914 with unit “H;” served under the Red Cross Roumanian commission in 1917, and returned to Russia In 1918, serving at Archangel. She Is a graduate of the Presbyterian Hospital Training School for Nurses, Chicago, Ill.; has been public health nurse with the Infant Welfare association and the Jewish Aid society, Chicago; rendered disaster service with the American Red Cross nursing service in the Ohio flood, 1913; in charge of out-patient obstetrical department of Rush Medical college, Chicago. Miss Gladwin sailed on the Red Cross ship, September, 1914, as supervisor of unit “L” assigned to Nish, Serbia, remaining In that country almost continuously until January, 1919, She is a graduate of Boston City hospital, Boston, Mass; ; has been superintendent of nurses, Woman’s hospitaL New York City, and rendered emergency service under the Red Cross in the Ohio flood, 1913.