NURSES’ HEALTH

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 283, 28 August 1942, Page 3

NURSES’ HEALTH

Hospital Board Assurances INVESTIGATION INVITED

Assurances that the health of nurses in the institutions controlled: by the Wellington Hospital Board was good were given at a meeting of the board last night when' reference was being made to published statements that the number of New Zealand nurses whose health broke down was serious. Ou the motion of Mr. A. P. O’Shea the board resolved to ask the Health Department for a detailed survey of the number of nurses who have broken down in health during the last five years in order to confirm or deny the suggestion that an unduly high percentage of nurses were inmates of t u berculositj san i toria.

Referring to statements made from time to time in a "certain weekly periodical,” Mr. O'Shea said it would be good for everybody if the matter were cleared up. Brom what he had heard the Wellington Hospital was a model-for other institutions in this respect. He would like to see the subject adequately covered on a Dominion basis. He would include nurses in training in the inquiry. "I can assure the mover ot this, motion that all steps.are taken to see that all nurses in this institution are adequately cared for,” said Mrs. Knox Gilmer, chairman of the staff .and house committee. "Medical examination is periodically insisted on, and further we cannot'go to guard them.” Everything possible was done, and if there was any indication of bad health in a nurse she became a patient of the hospital and every care was taken of her. Mrs. UHmer said she was sorry to hear the motion because it might raise the tear that all was not well. The Rev. F. J. Usher said Mr. ,0 Shea wanted to reassure the public, and no harm could be done by l getting statistics and settling the matter. Mr. J. Purvis said that only a few tuberculosis cases had arisen among nurses in recent years,* but what perturbed him was the loss of time by nurses partly through long hours worked in the hospital. Mr. O’Shea: No. The acting-medical superintendent, Dr. J. O. Mercer, said that no nurses of Wellington Hospital were, in tuberculosis sanitaria, and he believed there had been none for two years. Dr. G. Maclean, tuberculosis officer, who . kept a close watch, informed him that in the past four years only 11 nurses had come under suspicion, and the majority ot - the cases had been discovered so early that the disease hail not developed and they were nil now back at work. Mr. W. S. Cederholfti: I take it.that is a low average. Members: Yes. Mr. O’Shea said a grave disservice had been done the nursing profession by the propaganda that had been put out. He understood from men competent to judge that they had nothing to fear from an investigation of the kind proposed.