HOSPITAL MANNERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 13, 30 January 1937, Page 6

HOSPITAL MANNERS

How Nurses Address Patients A decision that nurses should not address patients by surnames only has recently been reached by the Wanganui and Palmerston North hospital boards, but the practice in hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Wairarapa Hospital Board for years has been to use the titles i'Mrs" or ' ' Miss ' ' for femal'e patients, and last June the board decided that male patients are entitled to "Mr." A deelaration that patients 'in the Wellington Public Hospital had been addres-sed by their "titles for some time was made by the assistant mecEeal superintendent, Dr. J. Cairney. Tho practice followed in the Hastings and Napier public hospitals by the nursing staft" in addressing patients, it was learned from inquiries made today, is the same as that reccgnised in most hospitals in the Dominion-— the use of the surnames only. A remit dealing with this matter is to be submitted in March to the conference of the Hospital Boards T Association of New Zealaud at Timaru. The remit com.es from the Cook Hospital Board, Gisborne. Mr G. O. Morse, as Hawke's Bay delegate to the conferouee, has been authorised to vote on it as he thinks flt.