that the figure given by the Census Bureau would be higher than the number secured through the National Inventory of Registered Nurses which was completed in 1941.

A total of 289,286 registered nurses returned questionnaires in the National Inventory of Registered Nurses. Of that number 173,055, or approximately 60 percent, were actively engaged in nursing practice at that time. About 25 percent of the questionnaires sent out were not returned. It is not known whether those not returned represent duplications because of a change of name through marriage, a failure to fill out the questionnaire because the nurse was not engaged in nursing work and did not intend to return to active practice, or simply lack of interest.

Of the 116,231 inactive nurses who returned their questionnaires, 25,252, or about 22 percent, stated that they were available for full-time duty if their country needed them.

The ratio of active to inactive nurses is slightly lower for the country as a whole than for the sample nine States published January, 1942. In the sample States, it was found that 66 percent of the total number of nurses who participated in the inventory were actively employed, whereas in the country as a whole 60 percent were actively employed.

The percentage of actively employed nurses who were engaged in institutional work (47.2 percent) was practically the same for the whole country as for the nine sample States. However, the percentage of actively employed purses who were engaged in private duty was lower. The nine sample States showed that 34 percent of the nurses were engaged in private duty nursing, while the rate for the country as a whole was only 27 percent.

Slightly more than 10 percent of the actively employed nurses were doing public health work. About 8 percent were engaged in other types of nursing work including industrial nursing. The type of employment was unknown for the final 8 percent. Table 1 gives a summary of the total registered nurses who participated in the inventory by State and the type of position.

Nurses eligible for military duty.-Two of the primary requirements for military duty are that the nurses be under 40 years of age and unmarried. Of the 173,055 actively employed nurses 89,327, or 51.6 percent, were unmarried and under 40 years of age. Of those nurses who were not active in nursing work when the inventory was taken, 9,366 were unmarried and under 40 years of age. Therefore, if only those two requirements are considered, it would appear that there are almost 100,000 nurses who are eligible for military duty.

TABLE 2.-Number and percentage of unmarried and under 42 years of age active nurses whose hospital on day of graduation averaged less than 50, 50–99, are 100 or more patients, by type of last nursing position1

1 For nurses participating in the National Inventory, 1941. ? Daily average number of patients in hospital with which school is connected unknown for 4,457 : who were unmarried and under 40 years of age.

However, the physical status of the nurse is another important requirement for military duty. Of the 9,366 inactive nurses who meet the requireme with regard to age and marital status, 1,629, or approximately 17 percent, were physically incapacitated when they filled out the inventory schedules. May others, both active and inactive, would probably be rejected for military day because of visual or dental defects, or other conditions which do not preve them from holding civilian positions. The ratio of rejections for military day because of physical defects may be as high as 20 percent.

Another factor which may prevent some of the nurses from being accepted for military duty is the daily average number of patients in the hospital enected with the nursing school from which they graduated. The daily avers number of patients was known for 84.870 of the 89,327 unmarried nurses under 40 years of age who were active in nursing work (table 2). From table 2 it w be seen that 4,635, or 5.5 percent, graduated from schools connected with bos pitals having a daily average of less than 50 patients.

Therefore, if from the total number of registered nurses who are unmarried and under 40 years of age deductions are made for physical disabilities and fr those nurses whose schools of nursing do not meet the standards required for military service, the number of eligible nurses may be reduced to about 75,001 TABLE 3.-Number and percentage of all active nurses, unmarried and under ♪ years of age, by type of last nursing position1

Occupational group.-Of the 89,327 nurses who are unmarried and under 4" years of age, 48,227, or about 54 percent, are in the institutional field. The p largest group of eligible nurses is found in the private duty field which has 2 728 nurses who are unmaried and under 40 years of age.

Table 3 presents an interesting picture of the percentage of the nurses in ach occupational group who are unmarried. The lowest percentage of ums" nurses is among the public health nurses and the highest percentage of

married nurses is in the institutional field. These percentages are influenced no doubt by the fact that a large number of the late graduates are found in the general staff phase of institutional work.

The marriage rate for all nurses under 40 years of age (48.4) is somewhat higher than for other groups of professional women.

How soon do nurses marry after graduation?-Slightly more than 14 percent of the nurses who graduated some time during the year 1940 were married before they returned their questionnaires in 1941. About 27 percent of those who graduated during 1939 were married before or early in 1941 and almost 37 percent of those graduated in 1938 were married before the 1941 inventory was taken.

Nurses usually become excellent homemakers and mothers, and they should not be discouraged from matrimony. However, during this present emergency if they marry early, is it expecting too much that they be asked to remain in active nursing work for at least 2 years after graduation?

The supply and distribution committee of the National Nursing Council for War Service has suggested "State quotas" of nurses for military service. The distribution of eligible nurses, as revealed by the National Inventory of Registered Nurses, indicates the foci on which State and local nursing councils may fruitfully concentrate their efforts in the interest of meeting their quotas.

[Reprinted from the American Journal of Nursing, vol. 45, No. 10, October 1945] 5,000 ARMY NURSES

What are their postwar plans? How old are they? How many expect to stay in nursing? What additional professional preparation do they want? The data which follow are a sampling of the American Nurses' Association postwar planning study compiled by the American Red Cross. They will be of very great value in the counseling program for nurse veterans.

To help nurse veterans to return to civilian life, the American Nurses' Association, early this year, sent 50,000 postwar planning questionnaires to nurses serving with the Army Nurse Corps and the Navy Nurse Corps. The American Red Cross has accepted responsibility for compiling the data on the returned questionnaires.

These data will be of the greatest value in the counseling program for nurse veterans and, in addition to the data secured on the "civilian postcard questionnaire," they will be of definite assistance in shaping the plans and programs of the American Nurses' Association Professional Counseling and Placement Service. It should be remembered that this preliminary report represents a sampling only and that final results based on the total returns may reveal quite different trends.

nurses.

On September 1, this year, 31,000 questionnaires had been returned by Army Some questionnaires have already been returned by Navy nurses, but since the questionnaires were not sent to the Navy nurses until somewhat later than to Army nurses, this report refers to Army nurses only. Later reports will be made concerning Navy nurses. Those who are analyzing the returns ave been impressed with the care and thought with which the replies have been nade.

A sample 5,000 returned questionnaires have been tabulated. These are the highlights:

Professional plans:

100 percent total sample,

73 percent expect to remain in nursing upon release from the military,

21 percent do not expect to remain in nursing upon release from the military, 6 percent did not answer the question.

97 percent are reserve Army nurses or Army of the United States nurses.

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