Page:A short history of nursing - Lavinia L Dock (1920).djvu/343

327 Nursing in the World War 327 gain strength during and after wars. In the nurs- ing world this theory seemed to find some con- firmation, for in several of our states the Reactionary opportunity was seized upon to attack movements the educational standards of state registration acts in an effort to break them down. Much was made of the scarcity of nurses at home, caused by the demands of war, and the emergency of the influenza epidemic, and the scarcity and high cost of all kinds of service. Part of this attack came from mercenary sources, but even to many medical men the proposed happy solution seemed to appeal, of developing a new type of cheap worker who should combine the duties of a nurse with those of a domestic servant of the "old faithful" type. But even if desirable, this is impossible. | Serious and energetic reorganization on soundly educational lines is indicated in the stirrings of post-war activity in many countries, progressive In our own there have never been so movements many students entering for special post-graduate training, nor so many demands for public service of the highest type. It may be that two tendencies are working out before our eyes ; namely, a shrink- age and transformation of a considerable bulk of private personal service on the old lines, to an en- larged and growing sphere of socialized public