THE nurse, unlike any other professional person, begins to serve the community almost immediately upon entrance to the hospital for training. The hospitals of New Haven graduate approximately 125 nurses each year and like the package in Santa Claus' pack, the nurse reaches out in every direction to all the avenues and by-ways of the city. She administers to the well, who want to keep well; to the sick, who want to get well; to the oldest citizens and to the newest arrivals. Her opportunity is unique, and to stimulate in every home a desire for more perfect mental and physical health.

Upon graduation, the nurses planning on private duty work, present themselves to the Central Registry for Nurses. These nurses, udring the past year, answered the nursing needs from 658 homes and took care of 3,202 patients in the hospitals.

The Visiting Nurse Association, with an average of 42 nurses in the field, made 14,082 contacts in the homes which means administering to about 50 new families a day.

The Department of Health, with a staff of 25 nurses, keep a close watch over the 36,561 school children and made more than 10,000 visits for health in the homes of our city during the year.

The Crippled Children's Aid Society employs nurses who had 182 children under care during the past year. The influence for good health in those homes was not limited to one patient.

The nurses in Industry, of whom there are eight graduates, not only safeguard the health of the workers in the factory, but visit the homes and spread the gospel of protection and prevention to the families of the employees. The indigent poor of New Haven are cared for by graduate nurses at the Springside Home.

The Community Center, which cared for 516 chldren during the year, has a graduate nurse supervising and watching the health of these little ones.

The nurses employed in doctors' office have a rare opporunity, daily, to explain and emphasize the doctors' recommendations to his numerous patients.

Of the 39,736 homes in New Haven, approximately 24,740 were visited during the year by nurses.

We like to feel that a little of the Christmas Spirit is continued day by day during the year until we wake up the 25th of December and can truly say "Merry Christmas".

MARGARET J. BARRETT, R.N..,
Director