THE 'PHONE NURSE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2709, 2 March 1916, Page 7

THE 'PHONE NURSE

With reference to a. letter which appeared in The Dominion on February 29, entitled "Nurses, tho Public Healtli Department, and the Telephone Directories," complaining that only registered nurses aro allowed to appear in- tho special nurses' list in the Telephone Guide, the Minister of Public Health yesterday explained- that the object of tho classification was as a guarantee to the public of the standing and efficiency of those who arc so included. Any person who chose was, of courso, entitled to place the name "nurse" after their address in the Directory, and if it wero laid down that every person who clioso so to ■ denominate herself was to bo entitled to selection in the special list provided in the Guide, the list itself would at once becoino worthless, as no guarantee would exist as to the qualification- and standing of the porsons so denominated. The Minister therefore stated that he was nnable to accept the recommendation of tho correspondent that provision should be made in tho Telophone Guide for the inclusion, under a separate heading, of all persons who chose to themselves "nurses." As appearng in the Guide the list is given as "Hospitals and Registered Nurses," and the Department cannot go any further than it has already gone.