CHARGES CHALLENGED

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 53, 26 November 1920, Page 8

CHARGES CHALLENGED

RECENT CRITICISM OF HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT NURSING STAFF CONDITIONS. Inference was made at yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Board to tho recent correspondence in the local Press relative to the conditions under which tho'members of the nursing staff worked. Mr. C. H. Chapman reported that he had made an appeal in the newspapers for recruits for the profession, in reply to which anonymous writers had attacked tho hospital management on the score of tho treatment of -the nurses. Mr. Chapman said that there was not the slightest justification for the management being so besmirched, as the allegations were all unfounded. As a matter of fact, nursing as taught in the Wellington Hospital received the praise of authorities competent to judge not only in New Zealand, but throughout Australasia. Tho results achieved constituted a record of which the board and its staff might well be proud. Mr. Chapman contradicted the statement that nurses and probationers worked at hard, manual labour for eight hours per day. The actual hours worked by morning nurses were seven, with- the addition of one hour's compulsory study. He added that if a sufficient number of probationers came forward it would ho possible for the staff to have more generous treatment with regard to days off and holidavs; otherwise it would be oxtremelv difficult to increase the concessions, as the patients—who naturally had first claim upon the consideration of tho management—had to bo looked after for 24 hours each day. Air C. M. Luke stated that more sisters graduated'from the Wellington Hospital as matrons of other hospitals than in the case of anv other institution in the Dominion. (Hear, hear.) Other members defended the management, including the Rev. H. Van Staveren, who characterised the anonymous critics as "gadflies with backlxmo, who die within six months." I The medical superintendent, Dr. Ay. K. AVoodhouso, mado a statement, in which ho denied the charges levelled against the management, and corrected fcwcral glarinsr misstatements. On the motion of tho Rev. Van Stnveren it was iTecided to instruct the superintendent ami the matron to arrange for a day off each month for members of the nursing staff, as soon as possible.