THE HOSPITAL NURSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 4

THE HOSPITAL NURSE.

j / 4j ;HODES:pP" SBEVICB. '•■.'' ! ' : V " The "Hospital -and.! Charitable iid Bill.dragged its' dreary way;through, the Lower- Hquso, in a • melancholy .fashion,'; and day ' after day': a .full'okplanation .of ! ;'alL■'■'duluess 'was thought ,tb-:begivori : whenvanyone said "tho.Hospital. ■Bill .ia still on.".' No one-would'.hayo\thou{»h.t that it. iould,contain- tho least bit of sparkle,; and/as-for. having.-an,explosive. little cracker in its. -composition', none would ,-hayo.,.dreamed of such"a:T;hingi', ;But !all ; unnoticed a ; littla clause 'crept in, , : right, away- down on.-the";list-?. Clanse 128,it.Was—and.:this was safely, imbedded in -the Bill by the the, LowerHouse.'.Somo private',member,inad-.insortcd. that clause, and -wlieh.''.ii was read, the most pacific, body-in New.; Zealand—the Private .'Nurses';..As-sociatiptf-rrosO'.'in, •astbhishmeut'■:to find' r- that they.wera ,to?Ro on the legal eight.hours' list.. It was-!to\be' -illegal, said,tho'clause, except.in" case of-urgency, .for.a' nursb.'to :'work ■■ more: ,thhn-fifty-six [hours in.a week. -At first glance it. enough: that a.nurso.,whose work.is;ar(luotis' : .should ,be'subjected ■ to:th"e,| samo, conditions . ftth'er workers,. and, should .be!Bafesuardcd.in : the same:.,way,;.but>the Nursee' Associdtion points put that, a nurse's, .work .'must',ibe, considered", in a elass.by'. itself.,. C\As a of fact,'-at tho larger hospitalsi thp'probationer who isih herfirst.yearj.who'is just being- broken in ',to hospital work , , and at ;the:\samb,''timo..studying for.. hoT..examination's,'does'havo 7 ; ;; Bjfly>.ani".eight;'hours' day. ''But. iiirsss 'and: sisters in charge .of wards-have :to' do;more than' that.. , .Tho nurse's.hours may ex-tend-to ,two;liouTs'pff during that time,'; and; tKo/Bister'.'in charge of. a; ward! is responsible Vfqr.h'er ward -all the. time,, though. . shb ■' has of .'coufso :to ". lcavo. a .nurse."-, in charge; '.during:..her .'hours. of. rest or .recreation. •:'■ It;is ffilt' by. tho association , that to :'put-the;'riurse's '.wbrk.on;ahi'eight-hbur. , basis -would : bo>to put, JiSr.-oh ;the level /of .'a .seryhnt, ! ,'and : ..toi''take away: from .liori'iill'-idehls;'of.^devotion,, , ;'self-', sacrifice;' , :.and' earnest- servidq-that. /a. -nurse saould, cherish^' To wbrk'for 'only.- , .eight"'houW, 'and-to'.'have: the-.otlicr ; .sixteen,ho\irs for rest and : play:would tenii'.td make:lier.slack;-and.to diminiah-nflr;pn6fgy, , 'a'nd it would make.it;very" hard for; her'. .wliqn-.phe-.;left :tho. hospital: and. took'up'.private nursing ih ; houses, where, the Wholo-burden ; ' would '. probably,- fall', .'ion,; her.shoulders: lln short,:.it :would ;be_ to.:provont the- training of efficient, self-sacrificing women.'", !:-jAt:;a:: meeting, of,■ : tne',;NurSes'. I 'Assoeintipn'. ; it" was decided --'-to send a -deputation 'to 'wait-on the.;Hbspital communicate .with the branchesSof; the' association 7 in other.-cen-tres;, .'-In reply,* word, was.'.received. ; from ' the Christchurch branchVsayin'R that, it .would: join ; in/tho protest;.inade:'-by; Wellington:':- : .■'-'. •:"'.'-." -

;j v^;<';-,v;f : : :V;iI:DEPOTATiqN, v;i :■ r, i: ;A .'deputation' consisting,of Mrs.' Kendall and Dr. M'Gaviri;.representing the -Trained; Nurses', ; Association, 'Waited .upon ; the Hospital Trustees yesterday .morning : 'for'- tho.'purpose • of ■ Urging' the '■:. trustee's to 'uao" their .get the Hospital, and-. Charitablo Aid Bill,, now- befoie: '.Parliament/ aivonded' as regards': the hours to be'^wprted^y-'nurses; 5 "!; , ■' ■»■'*'.-"■ ■' % : ;, ;' ' ';■ '.$ ; -Dr:'M'Qavin stated [ that the Nurses' , Associa-: tibn■.-•' was .'strpiisfly.'■ against ( Clause. 128 ■- of ■'.' tho Hospital,'and .Cn'aritablo'Aid Institutions Bill,which :had: passed' ..tho.; Lower'.- H0u50.:... Thi? 1 clause, proyiucd'.that.except.incases: of. .urgency. nnfseß: should -notjwork. more than,'s6:.hours in .one •week.'.-. On ■ general principles the ,asso--ciatiou* considered ;thrifc:.h'oiws should' : iiot bo ■laid' down asithe'-nursing.: profession was .not ,oae''.in';'whicli';the I ..hours could bo tied. In the ; first'-,hjaco.: ifc-'.would involve nurses .working two' shifts,- 'and 'would' consequently:' necessitate theVdpubling. of-the'staffs, .and; the.doubling of ■expenses and- accommodation. , -. Such -,a' clausp : as "tho ;pne jobjectcd to would fall heaviest on: .country J hospitals, da -double' staffs would make ■thoir*. working: 'almost van II Sec-: oudly,'-the clause would-necessitate "having two sisters'-ini each ward,' and'the charge would, consequently:, bb/ "^divided,'"','and .would 'detract from'v.th'e;'oasy:iiTOrking of the'.hospital.':Furthor,".a. restriction'.to eight hours would: mean: ,that.-nurses-. , would ;not;.be sufficiently "paid. T'; •■■' The-.Hon.CM. , Luke, chairman-of trusthat:the eight:honrs' 'system ,h«d been in vogue at .the. (Wellington Hospital for' somo>time :past.••.-.; I- ;■•::/..' : ... ; "..: : ' ; '.-■., :■,■■■■■-', .< Dr.; M'Gavin;as'it strictly, applied?; ■' .;-. :': '.'rho'chairtnan: Yes;. I/understand it. is. 1 ■ :V Dr. M'Gavin; went .-on.-.tp stato that tho ' : unafiimous.. in. ■ its ppinionyqh. ~ .the:poiut in- question, -and , they iv'ere anxioufj that the Hospital Trustees should takq'.ihematfer.in-hand;lor them.. Tho asso--ciatibn -thought the. board'was best qualified to-.dear with ; the 'matter, of urging, an amend-: njent..of,.,thc',B.ill... an . t l 1 > the .association 'would give ;them. every.i, support. Although' Kβ was not authorised .to commit tho British' Medical Associatiin, -he thought' the movement -would have .their support also. ... : . ', '. , ; . •'.ln ..reply:, tp questions, Dr. ; ll'Gavin stated that 'the Nurses'; .-Association . consisted : at trained-nurses, both 'in : and out of tho hospital.V- Thoy had ■•' tionsidered the ,view probationers would toko, and werb-. of, opinion .that the alteration would be approved by them. Tho general opinion, was that;spoing "tho; exceptional position nurses wero in, -the question pi hours should boioft to thfe caro of tho administra-tion-of each.hospital; : -■-'•■■■■'; ':;•'■, : .-.. : .■'■'■" '■" 'In tho discussion which followed it '-was ■made clear that tho association would-be satisfied if ■'it were; left ■to tho. Hospital Trustees to ' dotermido the hours of their staffs, and it was decided that- tho course to be pursued should be to endeavour to have a special committee set up if.'.possible''to hear ovidonce Veforo the 'Bill was passed. The Hon; C> M. Luko thought this : was ft reasonable; proposition, and ho undertook to stmest in .the s Legislative Council thata spocial. committee should -be set up. Messrs. B. C. : Kirk, G. London, Dr. Hardwick Smith, and the matron of tho';hospital wore appointed delegates '. to givo ovidence: beforo tho committee.in ■ the event/.of vits -being sot up. If .a committee is ,not set up to hear tho nui'ies' side, of: the questioni' a movement will ho made to ..present- a .petition to > the ■ Legislaon;;the .matter.-v >;'•'.? S /v"; ■:'. ~,.„.