HOSPITAL NURSES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 998, 13 December 1910, Page 5

HOSPITAL NURSES.

A NAPIER INQUIRY ' HOURS AND FOOD. -, " COMPLETE REBUTTAL OF CHARGES." (By Telegraph.-Prcss Association.) - • 1 • Napier, December 12. \. The recent statements' regarding nursea | l "being' overworked at Napier Hospital! ' were discussed at a'. meeting of • tha- ■ HawkoVßay Hospital and Charitable • Aid Board. • Tho chairman (Mr. W. 'Shrinipton)'' read the following report of a special • meeting, of the board, which was'held i oh December 3:— ..'.- i ' "The chairman explained the object of I the inquiry, -and stated the duties of'' <■ sisters and nurses, and. read Sister Pat'lot s letter containing the following,' • charges and complaints as to the hours, ' » etc., of night sisters ;-That no.time i»" i aUowed off for meals; that night duties: 3 affect tho health of tnoso who have bee»i on this duty; that the hours are -to*, long; and that nurses had'been at timer ■ .on duty for sixteen .hours in one day.'; Tho evidence of tho whole of the sisters! - was taken,, but the only evidence that) 1 n , k = M . directly on the question i»r •i, i / Slster ? orho0 rho hav,s actually been* -S5 V ■ a .? m ßkt superintending sisters.;. l heir replies constitute a complete doJ mal of the statements. They state that . supper is provided, and plenty of food' available for them at-all 'times, and' amp o fame for obtaining the same. Best is obtained during the.. night.''and two rooms are available and used by them during intervals between their rounds.: 1 In cold weather fires -are kept going al]' ;: night m those rooms. They- deny that' i the duties have- affected, their health, or 1 , j that leave of absenco was ever asked for on account of the strain of duty being too severe. They did^not consider •=tno'--' hours too long. They, have nurses uiK der them in tho wards who attend to tho ■'■' patients and do the ordinary nursing and* hospital work. All these statements wera" corroborated by Miss MacLean v who vis-'': itcd various wards during the night, hadl■: obtained supper,-and found'that tho sis- : ter on duty couttl get refreshments if sh»desired. iho evidence of:the other sis-' c ters who have never been engaged -ia' , nignt duty as night superintendents -Was '- _ taken. They consider the : hours are-too: long. None of them had actually been;*on this duty.' They aro awaro that tha : duration of honrs is tho same in ■ hos- , pitals of similar standing. All the si's-' tsrs deposed that they had not.worked ' at any times sixteen hours in one day,' and no friction other than the question ' ot hours existed at the' hospital.: Tha medical superintendent ; stated that nongot tho sisters engaged in night duty had' complained to him, and lie did not think; their health .had suffered-iri consequence)"- , of night duty. If a sister's, health suf~. i i ?*' -n 5119 Y" ould ' be,' taken ■ off! duty, irom the evidence advanced, it ' h . M .,' leen , fo "nd that a complete rebuttal ot the charges has been established; and< that they have no foundation." ' -.' ■■'•'. Speaking to the report, the chairman I said tho. sisters wero all- examined onl ) every.point, and wero given full liberty': 1 to speak or answer, any questions. There 1 - had, he said, been a great deal of talk: about long hours, but, -.as,a -matter-b! i fact, the eight hoiiiV system was in! force throughout the hospital, with tho exceptions of the matron and medical I r superintendent. ' The doctor's services' > were frequently required' for 16 or 17; 1 hours a day, and •' the matron's hours '■ were also very long. The'sisters, hadl , ample meals provided: for thehi, ; audi rooms in which to rest. .Much had been! said about nurses having, neither rest! nor repose, but it could "be seen bv. th"»( " evidence given that the' report was'aai. , actual denial of-those statements, jtonv '. <overj ftheir hours were fliotllso stated in the report. Nurses were given one night off each week,'and they had to* take 21 hours off during the day. This .s was insisted, upon. Nurses were, also ,t granted cnemonth's leave.'each year.oni. full pay. Nominally! sisters' hours wero, from 0.30 a.m. till 6.30 p.m., but the restj allowed reduced the hours, and sisters! received extra' remuaeration. Ordinary e nurses received .£45 per y«ar to start! ~ with. Night duty only extended over; a period of three months. Naturally,; no-one liked night duty, but it had to! be done. ''.'.'.' A motion adopting the report was car-, ried unanimously. " '. .-■'"- i t ', The- chairman drew attention, to the- -' fact that careful -provision was always' e made for proper food, for the nurses, .and :1. in fact every dare, was taken with them, t .Mr. G. H. Cranby said the nurses,at e Napier, Hospital were treated better than in many other hospitals in the Domihion.,Inquiries showed that; the hours worked in one of the hospitals. varied from 3 to 11 hours, and averaged about 10 hours. ■- Then, again, the period of night dutywas often six months instead, of three, ; '. as at tho Napier Hospital.-: