TRAINED NURSES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 80, 1 October 1931, Page 11

TRAINED NURSES

IJNEMtLOTEI) "PBOBLEJt

FACTS FOR CONSIDERATION

ADDRESS BY, DIRECTOR

In an interesting address to the NewZealand Trained Nurses' Association last evening, Miss,M. I. Lambie, Direc tor of Nursing, Department of Health, said that for some months past there had been a grave feeling among nurses that the whole question of supply and demand for the nursing profession inNew Zealand had definitely come to a stage when it needed serious consideration; On the 31st March, 1931, there were 5794 nurses on the general register, 834 of these being nurses registered on! overseas training. Allowing 2800 as not being in active practice, there was a total of 3000 nurses to consider. The following figures give a fairly; accurate estimation of how nurses are employed in New Zealand:—Trained nurses employed in public hospitals which are training schools, 553; trained nurses employed in public: hospitals which are not training ■ schools, 74; trained nurses employed in maternity, public hospitals, 44; trained nurses employed in Health Department •§ institutions, 73; total, 744. Trained nurses in publio health work of different kinds, including staffn of Karitane hospitals, 300; trained nurses in priyat* hospitals, general, and miscellaneous, 304; total, 1348. There was,' therefore, left the large number of 1650 to be absorbed in private nursing. In May, June, and July the number of nurses reported as unemployed was 119. All bureaux reported that there were many nurses working, in their districts who were not linked with the bureaux. All* witli the exception of Waikato and Southland, reported that unemployment hail been serious. proposals :for future. Urgent steps were necesiary if any, remedy was to be applied, and these, it was suggested, should follow-three lines:—(l) The limitation of the number of pupil nurses, thus gradually building np a large proportion of trained to untrained staff in public hospitals. At present this is—J trained nurse occupied in bedside work to 12 beds; 1 pupil nurse occupied ia. bedride work to IB beds. Private hospitals are required to have one trained nurse to every five beds. (2) Th« better preparation of pupil nurses for. home nursing. (3) The development, of fresh avenues for trained nurses. Other avenueg for tlie future were:-* (1) The nurse in industry. (2) Tb» development of what is called in Eng*' land "The Lady Almoner' 1 and ia America "The Social Service Worker* attached to the clinics of our out* patient departments of the public hog* pitals. (3) A closer link between tha' general trained and the mentally, trained nurse, opening up the whole question of mental training, not only, for the mental hospital but for ths general hospital with its'medical wards where nervous diseases take. such.:;a large part in the type of cases admitted. In discussing this question, Mis* Lambie said her remarks related eir tirely to the general trained nurse. In, addition, there was a large number of midwives and trained maternity; nurses to consider, so that it would b« seen how serious the problem,.:was. Practically every country in the world was confronted with the same, problem, and was looking for a solution. In New Zealand we must attack it from the beginning—in the training .schools, and it was to the matrons and hospital boards that we must Ipok for help. The annual report of the Now Zealand Trained Nurses' Association, which' was presented yesterday :at the conference of delegates now being held at the Wellington Hospital, states that a movement was inaugurated to give monetary: aid to nurses injured in'the Hawkes Bay, earthquake disaster. Nearly £500 was collected by nurses, and.assistance was given to deserving cases. • Eeference is made in the report t«i the existence of unemployment among, nurses., The opinion is expressed that too many, nurses are being trained for, the existing demand. It was felt that the status of New Zealand nurses and reciprocity with Great Britain were endangered by the legislation introduced in Parliament last session. ' The Bill contained a provision to allow, training in certain privately-owned has* pitals. . It now remained to be seen whether the status of New Zealand-trained nurses was sufficiently guarded in thtj Act; ■ , . ■ - ■■ -■:■■■ r The hope was expressed that the postgraduate training of nurnes would bt resumed next year. The association extended a welcome to the new Director of Nursing, Miss M. I. Lambie, and assured her. of loyal support/ In moving the adoption of the report, Miss Kohn (president); referred fhe large nnmber of unemployed nurses, and said the question should receive-the earnest consideration of the conference. A question of outstanding importance to the association, said Miss Kohn, was the selection of two representatives upon the Nurses and Midwives'Registration Board—one to represent general nursing and the other maternity nursing. Members were urged to select representatives of outstanding ability. The report was adopted. .:•'■■ ■