MENTAL HOSPITAL NURSES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23966, 5 June 1943, Page 2

MENTAL HOSPITAL NURSES

* IMPROVEMENT IN STATUS PLANNED From Our Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, June 4. Improvement of the status of nurses in mental hospitals to attract young women seeking employment with an assured future is under consideration by the Government. This information was given to-day by the Minister of Health (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer) m the course of comments on the report of the commission which inquired into the fire at the Seacliff Mental Hospital on December 8. The commission reported that it was greatly impressed with the difficulties under which the administrative staff at Seacliff and other mental hospitals laboured because of the shortage ot staff. It was appreciated that the nature of the occupation did not make a great appeal to many girls. Apart from temporary pleasures to bring back during the war period nurses who had hact experience in mental hospitals, the commission suggested the appointment of a committee consisting of representative members of the mental hospital administrative staff and nominated members of the Registered Nurses’ Association to investigate present conditions and make recommendations to the Director-General of Mental Hospitals. The Minister said the desperate staffing position in all mental hospitals was freely admitted, and steps were being taken to rectify this. Many persons directed to work in mental hospitals had protested vigorously, mostly because of misunderstanding of the work involved. A campaign was now planned to correct this misunderstand, ing. He added that the staffing committee recommended by the commission had been appointed and after a number ol meetings had presented a report which was now receiving the attention of the Government. Something had to be done to relieve the present overworked staff of some of the burden they had so nobly and so uncomplainingly carried in the last few months. Cutter’s Journey. —The long . trip from Wellington with a great deal of heavy weather on the way was completed last night by the 35ft cutter. Wairore, which has been purchased for the Whangaroi pleasure fleet by Mr R. Wilkinson and Mr C. Franklin, of Whangaroi. The yacht left Wellington on May 10.— (P.A.)