By Lorraine Weltzien

Near the beginning of this year, the United Nations, several governmental entities in Europe and individual states in this country issued proclamations declaring the year 2010 to the “The International Year of the Nurse,” in honor of the 100th anniversary of the death of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing practice.

In our country, there are approximately 15 million registered nurses. Bellevue and the Eastside have many who live and work here.

The Lakeside Registered Nurses Association came into existence in 1942 as an offspring of Bellevue’s first Civilian Defense Organization. A group of RNs in the then small community of Bellevue contacted others in the area and soon the associated was formed.

The first project was the setting up and staffing of casualty stations throughout the area. These stations were equipped with beds and other equipment, medical supplies and more. Meetings of the RNs manning the stations were held regularly.

In the early days of WWII, arrangements were made with the King County Blood Bank to bring their head doctor and a couple of staff nurses to Bellevue for a local donation program. Members of the nurses’ club donned uniforms and helped out – these were done at the main Bellevue casualty station. Nurses also helped with tuberculosis testing in the schools and donated to the Overlake Hospital building fund.

After WWII ended, the casualty stations were gradually closed. The last one to go was the one in a barn on the Al and Hattie Constans property, which is now part of Mercia on Clyde Hill. It closed in 1952.

The Lakeside Registered Nurses Association is still meeting four times a y ear. Membership is mostly older, retired or semi-retired RNs, although others are welcome.

The next meeting of the association will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 21 at the Bellevue Regional Library. The speaker will be

Dr. Ed Funk, retired head and neck surgeon, who will speak on facial neuritis and neuralgia.