MORE PATIENTS, FEWER NURSES, AT HOSPITAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 52, 11 February 1949, Page 5

MORE PATIENTS, FEWER NURSES, AT HOSPITAL

Staff Position Quite Desperate During January 165 patients (95 female and 70 male) were admitted to the District Hospital, Whakatane, and 145 (86 and 59) discharged. Eight died. There were 32 babies born at the annexe, 17 girls and 15 boys. Eight major operations and 60 minor operations were performed. Those figures represent desperately hard work for the nursing staff. In her report to the Hospital Board’s monthly meeting yesterday the Matron, Miss K. Miller, emphasised the point that the number of patients had increased and the number of nurses had decreased. Hopeless Understaffing She- praised the existing staff for their'' handling of the heavy work; but pointed out that more nurses were urgently needed. She said the hospital had the nursing capacity to handle 50 patients adequately in the hospital proper and had to handle from 73 to 75 patients. That did not include the annexe, where the position was bettef. She had been told by the Director, Division of Nursing, that districts in which recruitment had been thoroughly carried out there was no shortage. The matron said she could think of nothing further to do that had not been done. Would the Board write to the Department and ask for advice as to the type of campaign that had been successful elsewhere and how to conduct it? Delegates are to place the question before the Hospital Boards Conference at Wellington on May 4 and 5 next. Violent Cases Another angle to the discussion was opened up by Mrs D. S. Sumner, who called attention to the fact that- recently a nurse had been knocked down by a patient on the verge of D.T.’s and that violent cases were by no means rare.. She suggested there should be a night porter on continuous duty to help. The general opinion amongst members was that something should be done to protect female members of the staff and other patients. In the absence of the medical superintendent, Dr E. T. Dawson, it was agreed that, as a temporary measure, the nursing staff be authorised to arrange for male assistance with such cases. In that regard, Miss Miller expressed her gratitude to the St. John Ambulance Association for providing men throughout the night in cases in which such assistance had been needed recently. Every effort is to be made to increase the nursing staff