Above: A WPA nurse in Michigan, ca. 1935-1943. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
We need more nurses
We need more nurses
Today, there are not enough nurses to properly handle the coronavirus crisis. For example, this past Tuesday, nurses in Detroit were so stressed that they "refused to work and demanded more nurses be brought into their overrun emergency room" ("Detroit hospital nurses refuse to work without more help, ordered to leave," CNN, April 7, 2020). Earlier, a Detroit nurse had been fired for complaining about staffing shortages, as well as a lack of personal protective equipment, and said: "I have been a nurse for 11 years. We are in a critical need of nurses right now, and to fire me when I have experience and professionalism is wrong" ("Whistleblowing nurse fired after complaining of inhumane conditions at Detroit's Sinai-Grace amid coronavirus outbreak," Detroit Metro-Times, April 10, 2020).
During the New Deal, the WPA provided thousands of nurses for a nation in need.
For example, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 16 WPA nurses provided support for a whooping cough vaccination and study program ("Medicine Near a New Victory," Detroit Free Press, May 18, 1936, p. 5).
The Mayo Clinic describes whooping cough as "a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it's marked by a severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like 'whoop'... Deaths associated with whooping cough are rare but most commonly occur in infants... Whooping cough is caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny germ-laden droplets are sprayed into the air and breathed into the lungs of anyone who happens to be nearby."
Another example of the value of WPA nurses was reported in New York, October 1936:
"With its forces augmented by 500 WPA nurses, New York state health officials made plans today for a fall and winter campaign against pneumonia... the disease takes 12,000 lives annually in the state... Announcing the assignment of WPA nurses to the health staff, Dr. Rogers said that 'efforts are being made to make bedside nurses available to all victims of pneumonia'" ("500 WPA Nurses to Help State Battle Pneumonia," Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), Associated Press article, October 6, 1936, p. 1).
Yes, WPA nurses provided great assistance for Americans suffering from whooping cough, pneumonia, diphtheria, small pox, tuberculosis, polio, etc. Wouldn't it be nice to have thousands of WPA nurses for the coronavirus crisis?
During the New Deal, the WPA provided thousands of nurses for a nation in need.
For example, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 16 WPA nurses provided support for a whooping cough vaccination and study program ("Medicine Near a New Victory," Detroit Free Press, May 18, 1936, p. 5).
The Mayo Clinic describes whooping cough as "a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it's marked by a severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like 'whoop'... Deaths associated with whooping cough are rare but most commonly occur in infants... Whooping cough is caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny germ-laden droplets are sprayed into the air and breathed into the lungs of anyone who happens to be nearby."
Another example of the value of WPA nurses was reported in New York, October 1936:
"With its forces augmented by 500 WPA nurses, New York state health officials made plans today for a fall and winter campaign against pneumonia... the disease takes 12,000 lives annually in the state... Announcing the assignment of WPA nurses to the health staff, Dr. Rogers said that 'efforts are being made to make bedside nurses available to all victims of pneumonia'" ("500 WPA Nurses to Help State Battle Pneumonia," Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), Associated Press article, October 6, 1936, p. 1).
Yes, WPA nurses provided great assistance for Americans suffering from whooping cough, pneumonia, diphtheria, small pox, tuberculosis, polio, etc. Wouldn't it be nice to have thousands of WPA nurses for the coronavirus crisis?
Above: A WPA poster, urging prompt medical attention for pneumonia. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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