THE NURSE'S DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1345, 24 January 1912, Page 5

THE NURSE'S DAY.

EIGHT HOURS TOO SHORT, SYSTEM REVIEWED, . HOSPITAL 13OA1JD DISCISSION. A.I Ih/" Dominion Conference of de(egates from Hospital Boards, held at AVellinglon in the latter part of last year, it was decided to inquire from those hospital authorities which had instituted an eight hours' system of duly for the nursing staff what their opinions were as to its efficacy or otherwise. Pursuant to (his resolution, (he In-spector-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valinline) wrote lo a number of 11o.spil.il Hoards, tin; AVclliiiglon Board among Iho number, asking them to .supply the desired information. The matter was touched upon yesterday in the report of the Hospital Conimiltee to the board and reports from the medical superintendent (Ur. Hardvick-Sniith) and i'rnin Hit; matron at; (he AVellinglon Hospital CAliss Ji , . K. I'ayne) nn.m the working of the eighUiour (-yslein were laid upon the table. Dr. Hardwick-Smith's Report. Dr. llardwick-Sniith, in his report, dealt with the subject at considerable lengili. He staled, inter alia, that, in his opinion treatment suffered under the eight-hour b.vslem, and that to.a certain extent the treatments ordered by th'« medical stuff were not. carried out now with that amount of care and attention which they deserved. The nursing stall', lie believed, carried out their duties conscientiously, but. a number uf factors incidental to tho eight-hour system made against efficiency. Dr. Jlardwick-Smitli dealt with these, factors in detail. He staled, among other tilings, that. Ml nurses have not the same amount of skill and sympathy, and it is likely that the patient will suffer less if a less niimiwr of nursus are in attwidaiuo. A modification which had been introduced at Wellington, he mentioned, to Mime extent got over the difficulty, •'J.'hi>-charjo-nurses lately appointed, being senior

nurses, were not restricted tn tin?, oiiflit, bums system. In consequence there viis' always (mi; inirsu iu the ward who roiitd advise the nurses coining un iluly übout any new Ireatmbnt or uny jiew complice tiun wliich hail arisen in.u I'urjuer duty. Ui , . Hardwitk-Smith went on to" state Ihiit tlie eight-hour system (o si ceru.iu extent affected the training of nurses, Imt, in his upiuion, it depended on the woniaa herself whether she beoii.jv a good mir.-e or nut, l.'ndcr (lie eig lH'timr system tho nurse in. a fnH iv:inl was always, in ,;i hurry, ami oftentimes worrii'il.- *ltc : was surprised that t lit- nurse's carried nut flie'ir" duties as well as they did. Where there TO.s.hiiiT.v and worry such us the eighthour system tended lo crpplr. the. best features of nursing must suffer lo some extent. A nurse had not the time io' carry out her duties as fhe would wish. As to the influence of the right-hour pj-btem on the length of training necessary, Dr. Hardwick-Smith expressed the opinion that, with an eight-hour Vystem, or with a modiiied twolve-hour syslpni. three years was not an adecjua'te time for training n nurse. As «i remedy, he gug. Rested (hat. State certilicatcs should In .given alter four years' training, instead, ot Ilirei'. Dealing with the influence on fhe health of the nurses of Ihe eight-hour system, Dr. Hardwick-Sinilh remarked: "As far as Wellington Hospital is coneorned,,! do not tliink it affects the health ot the nurses to a great extent. They oilon come oil' duly complaining nf great tiredness, but 1 consider thai'the'rush, and hurry is inclined to make them at tunes hysterical and irritable. Jf ther had more leisure to do their work 1 think it would Ik> of beneh't. The percentage ot muses off duty through illness 'is about three jter cent, during the year, ihe health of a nurse largely depends upon herself. Some arc very careless on this point, others sensible, 'if a nur>o spends the whole morning running about the town, comes in just in time for dinner, then rushes on duty, she will be narurally fared before that duty is ended. A nurse's work in training is a serious vocation, and if she wishes to do it thoroughly, she enniiot keep up her social duties oulside Iwr nursing hours. Her life am relaxations should lw quiet and oruerly. At all times her life is strenuous mid necessitiiles care for }«th mind < lu d

It would be very detrimental to patients, nurses, anil ward work generally. Dγ! Jjardwick-Sniith stated, to extend (lie eight-hour system to the more 'responsible officers, sue .as listens in charge of n wad, Inhke ,:ui office," he continued, which can be attended between the hours I ol 8 and a, a ward must have someone inauthority in charge for the whole of the .'! hours. It should he the sister's first thought and duty to watch over the well- ■■ being of the ward iii which she is placed ■ n> charge. A sister rightly feels this responsibility, and would not: wish to give till her duties to those of less experience or share the responsibility with another. If a sister and other resyoiirsiWc officera - >vere to act under the eisht-hour system. he word must suffer The sister 'would Icel flint when she «-ns in (he ward she. was responsible for its well-bein?,- but ia her absence, if anything happened she could not be blamed, and would lose interext in her ward and the training of the nurses under hn. if llu> sisier-s were in elKirgo lor fixed periods it. would create jealousy a iid discontent, and the methods ■of each might easily clnsh. on d patients and nurses swtter. There must lie continuity ol service in a ward, and Hint continuity of service must be carried out uv one lndividiml in charge... ..The sister. - always in charge knows her patients and their wants and their wishes, and takes' an. interest in them both whilst in the 1 word and nftiwnrds. Nur* R . acting under ] her know that she will lie there at fixed periods m the day to see if Ihev have carried out their duties properly." " The Views of the Matron. .In the course of her report: upon , (ho t'.ight-honr system, the matron "Miss F h.J.'nyne) said:- • ■■■ • . - "Whore a nnmbor of nurses ore eivng-- -. nl in etirryin, ? out. treatments imporlant details are likely to he forgotten, the p:i- , tient sii ler.s lnoonvrnieiice' from the v.-iri- ' ous iiiethodr. of nursinL', thoroforo tln> ,sv--- , tfitii is not in l\k best interest, l-mler |'h fl eight-hour system i>. nurse has less fncilitT or n«(uirin(f the qualification* namod iii Hie let or. hhe has to hiirrv tlirongli her' • work, losing valuable knowledge which could bo gained bv closer observation of piiticnts. hho l uvl)ably leaves work to Iw: , done by whoever follows hor on duty, lx--caiiM; she has made aiTanireiuenls outside - which necessitate a rush through her work., in order to gel; away, and consequenththo patient is not Mimcieiitlv considereil ami attention to detail is tost, Piidor , such a sysjom nurses do not feel rexpon- ■ ability suflieiently. It is not possible for' a nurse to get siiflieient ox]ii.rience in nil--the -branches of her work in a large or small training school in three vemV ■• .

Tpc Board and Extra Hours. The Hospital Committee submitted (he following recommendation to the board — "lhal, having perused and considered I his ivporls of thi! medieal miix-riiiind-ent and matron upon tho working of iho eight hours system, this committee, from its. expen'Mice, endorses the conclusions arrived at by these officers.; nnd is of the opinion that a. rc-nrranifenient of nurses', hours, without' strict reference to eight ho ins per day, and without materially merca-sing the actual hours of duly, will be in tho interests of both nurses nnd patients."

Mr. Kirk s.aul that tho board need dp nothinj' nioro thnii forward lh<> inforinn'-' tiou which had been obtained to. the IJeparlnient. Until existing legislation had bwn altered there eimld bo no question of changing (lie hours which were worked by nur.-es at present. l <■ ■■ The Rpv. H. Van Staveren snUl that the abandonment of the eight-hour system would not mean that nurses would work longer hours Oian at present, but only (lint a better systpin would bv adopted.

Mr. V. T. Mooro eontended tlvat the introduction of a systiMii under vii'cb iiin'scv:, though not eontinually oi)1])1o.vih1, would 1)0 inwv> or less on duly for ion;? periods, would entail u species of slavery.

>fr. G. Nash said that. Dr. HnrdwukSmith's minrt to (he Hospital Commiltvo clearly indicated that (ho hour': worked by nurses would b<! increase;] if the eight-hour system were abandoned.

Mr. Kirk vni tern ted that the board war,' not discussing a proposal to .ill.it the working hours of nuri-es, but simply coji. sidoriiiff whether it should forward reports from it nfl'wrs to tho Depa.rt.ino.iit. It was deeidod, without further discussion, to for ward (ho report from ])r. irardwick-Stnidi and from the matron (o the Health Depiirtancnt, an<l tho committce'fi reconmicndution was approved.