NURSE TRAINING FOR CIVILIANS TAKEN BY MANY Program Desired to Keep Registered Nurses Free for Duty May 1941 Mothers and daughters together are being trained by the American Red Cross to take charge of practical nursing problems that may arise in the home. At Weber college Red Cross rooms, Mrs. Catherine Eckenbrecht public health nurse and Red Cross instructor, has a class ranging in age from 12 years through adolescence and into middle age. The course is experimental, being the first of its kind in this area. Making beds while patients are in them, giving baths in bed, care of patients with communicable diseases, infant and child care and action to take in small home emergencies, such as burns and similar accidental injuries, are being taught by the instructor. Class Completed Another class for women 18 to 60 years old has just been completed by Mrs. E. L. Miner, Those who complete the courses are given certificates by the Red Cross. The class runs two hours at a time and continues for 24 hours. The class recently completed had 60 students. A similar course conducted last year by Mrs. Miner had a registration of 120. “It is the aim of the Red Cross to prepare the people of this country to take over in wartime emergencies,” Mrs. Miner said. “Not that the women will be expected to serve in the field, but in case of bombing in the cities, the women will be able to take care of their own injured, thus relieving nurses in the service from that extra duty. “The training would not nearly suffice for women going into the field to do actual nursing-it takes a graduate to do that. Rather, it teaches the students to take charge in their own homes and reduce the necessity for having special nurses in the home when they will be needed in hospitals and field service.” Assisted In Work Mrs. H. H. Ellison, who assisted in the organization, and the two instructors, Mrs. Eckenbrecht and Mrs. Miner, worked under the lay chairmanship of Mrs. L. W. Overstreet of Weber county chapter, American Red Cross, in putting over this work for Girl Scouts, college girls and housewives. The mother-daughter class is being operated in the Grant school area, and includes students in that school, in junior high and high school. The youngsters who complete the course will receive junior Red Cross certificates like those of the Red Cross presented to adult women on satisfactory completion of both theory and practice examinations. “With war looming nearer and nearer, we also are stressing the need for vaccination and inoculation for the prevention of the outbreak of serious disease epidemics in case of the devastation of cities and the resultant crowding of populaces into bomb shelters or similar close quarters, “ Mrs. Miner said. Defense Course “While every item we teach is excellent knowledge for the housewife, the course is now being taught primarily as a defense course.” Nearly 200 junior and senior Red Cross certificates have been issued during the past year and half for completion of this training. Representatives of the local junior Red Cross organization me Monday at Madison school for the annual report of the group. Representatives from each school were in attendance and Mrs. W. Karl Hopkins, junior Red Cross chairman, presided. Ogden high school council reported completion of 90 layettes the only school to fill its quota in the junior organization so far. Reports of Mound Fort and Madison chapters were complimented for achievement, while Polk and Madison schools earned plaudits for collecting 40 and 35 pounds of tinfoil, respectively. Mothers, Daughters Prepare For Future Emergencies PRACTICAL NURSING…Care of the sick and injured in home surroundings is being learned by girls and their mothers in home hygiene course at Weber college, shown above, under instruction of Mrs. Catherine Eckenbrecht (in uniform). Students in the class, taught under Red Cross auspices, are (left to right) Lois McBride, Bernice Lightfoot, Neva Rae Illin (seated) Mrs. D. K. Ellison, Mrs. Ann Loveless and (making bed) Shirley Horspool. Colleen Layne is the “patient.”