T/ie Thin Blue Line*
Public Safety Couples Service With Security
The secretary wants a cup of coffee.
She walks to the snack bar, leaving her
purse in plain view beside her desk.
When she returns, she has her cup of
coffee, but someone else has the money
from her paycheck she left in her purse.
The laboratory assistant has an errand
to run. His co-workers are in another
part of the medical center, but he
neglects to lock the lab because, well,
it's a bother, and he'll be right back.
Ten or 15 minutes later, after he has
' picked up the new glassware or delivered
the reports, he discovers that a $780
microscope is missing.
The drug firm representative has to
visit the pharmacy at Duke as part of a
sales trip from Atlanta. He has to call
on two other hospitals this morning and,
being in a hurry, he parks in the closest
available space. Tramping back after the
meeting, he can't find his car, but he
does notice for the first time a
conspicuous blue sign which states —
"NO PARKING - TOW ZONE."
The little girl stands in front of the
receptionist's desk with misty eyes and
the look of one who has just lost her
best friend. She has indeed — she can't
find her mother.
It's Saturday night and a gunshot
victim lies bleeding on a stretcher in the
Emergency Room. Although he is in
serious condition, he struggles with
medical staff who are attempting to
minister to his wounds. Clearly, if not
restrained, he may cause injuries to
others and additional harm to himself.
These are but a few of the situations
that the medical center branch of the
university's Public Safety Department
may be called upon to handle.
Under the leadership of Sergeant
John H. Goodfellow Jr., Hospital Public
Safety is a community service and law
enforcement operation. The detail of 17
people assigned to the immediate area of
the hospital includes one
officer-in-charge, one plainclothes
investigator and 15 uniformed officers
who work in shifts 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
The officers are most visible to
patients, visitors and employes outside
of the main entrance directing traffic,
but they have a number of other duties
which include routine patrols of
corridors and outside areas, maintaining
the colors, giving directions to
newcomers to the medical center,
locating lost children (or parents),
staffing the Emergency Room with
police personnel and providing an escort
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VOLUME 20, NUMBER 15
APRIL 13,1973
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
ANA Executive Advocates:
New Policy-Making Role For Nurses
A top executive in the American
Nurses' Association has urged nurses to
become more active in politics and public
affairs in order to have a voice in shaping
the nation's health policies.
"There are those that say nursing is
naive politically, and perhaps they have a
point," said Constance Holleran, deputy
executive director of the Government
Relations Division of the ANA.
Miss Holleran delivered the Harriet
Cook Carter Lectureship last week during
dedication ceremonies for the new
addition to Hanes House.
"If the trends of the new federalism are
continued and it appears as if they will
be, and if revenue sharing for health
becomes a reality within the next few
years, decisions about health policy and
budget will be made much more at the
Ideal and the state level than at the
federal," she said.
"It is essential that nurses have
themselves ready for this eventuality,"
she said. "In order to be ready, you must
be sure that there are well versed,
competent nurses on every health
committee and task force within the
state.
"Nurses need to be active at the local
HONORING MISS JACOBANSKY—A surprise element was part of the ceremonies
dedicating the new addition to Hanes House at the School of Nursing last week. At the
conclusion of the program. Dean Ruby Wilson announced that the auditorium in the
new building would be dedicated to Miss Ann Jacobansky, pictured on the left here
with Dean Wilson. Miss J., as she is known, is a professor of nursing and has served as
acting dean of the school. (Photo by Dale Moses)
level in party politics, in ward politics and
all the way up," she said. "They have to
be workers. They have to be financial
contributors, and I hope that they are
also candidates for office."
One of the health issues mentioned by
Miss Holleran was the quality of care in
nursing homes.
"If, in fact, nursing homes can meet
the expectations of the
title—nursing—shouldn't nurses be active
advocates for the patient needing those
services?" she said. "What right do we
have to be silent or to talk among
ourselves if we cannot bring about
changes within the setting...
"Perhaps if changes cannot be brought
about from inside it may be necessary to
use other means such as press
conferences, letters to editors, discussion
with other community groups willing to
be activists if needed, that are concerned
about health care," she said.
Miss Holleran also urged nurses to be
active participants in all committees
examining utilization of health care. She
said that nursing must be "more
accountable to the people" through a
workable system of peer review.
She mentioned the proposed 1974
cutbacks in federal support for nursing
education and said th^t nursing
organizations "have not taken the lead in
doing cost studies of nursing education."
"It is extremely difficult to convince
many conscientious members of Congress
to provide what we consider adequate
financial support for graduate education
in nursing without having the solid facts,"
she said.
"If health is important, it's up to those
of us who feel that perhaps the public is
not understanding to make sure that they
do," she said. "Each of you has a part in
that.
"The question is," she added, "Is
nursing ready to carry its full share of the
burden to provide its full share of the
teamwork to fulfill its full potential in
providing health care?"
service for female employes at night and
money transfers between the bank,
business offices and armored vehicles
during the day.
In addition, they investigate thefts at
the medical center and are responsible
for non-medical disaster planning in the
event of earthquakes, floods or other
natural catastrophes.
Goodfellow, a former sergeant major
with 30 years in the Marine Corps, said,
"Since 95 per cent of our work is
community service and 'only five per
cent law enforcement, we are a different
type of outfit from regular police.
People come to a hospital for help, and
we feel that our main responsibility is
along this line."
Goodfellow said that his department
prefers to hire young people who are
currently attending school since students
usually adapt quickly and have the
ability to communicate effectively.
At the present time nine of the
hospital's 15 uniformed officers are
attending schools in the Triangle area
including Duke, the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. Central
University, and Durham Technical
Institute. One student-officer, Edward C.
Smith, is working on a master's degree
in International Political Theory.
The training of public safety officers
at the medical center consists of four
weeks (151 hours) of junior college level
basic police sciences at the U.N.C.
Institute of Government where
applicants learn N.C. state laws on such
things as drugs, traffic, alcoholic
beverages, and firearms. In addition, they
must complete a training course in the
use of firearms at the Durham Police
Department firing range.
Although the majority of his officers
are male, Goodfellow said that at
present. Hospital Public Safety has one
woman officer, Rosemary Jones, who
has been with the University since 1971.
The sergeant considers her invaluable in
cases which involve females.
What are the special problems that
Public Safety faces at Duke?
Goodfellow said the medical center
has been lucky in that it has been free
from most of the serious crimes which
plague big city hospitals. There have
(Continued on page 3)
CASE DISCUSSION—SexqeanX John H.
Goodfellow and Officer Rosemary Jones
discuss business in the Public Safety
Office located near the Hospital Chapel.
Goodfellow said he considers Officer
Jones, Public Safety's first woman
employe, invaluable in cases which
involve females. (Photo by Jim Wallace)