Nurses' Swimming-Bath

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 66, 10 December 1937, Page 7

Nurses' Swimming-Bath

R.

HARD1NG

. H. M.

WILSON.

R. B.

GOSNELL

Sir, — Since the opening of our "campaign the fund for" the Nurses' Swimming Pool has made good progress, and to-morrow we are appeali'ng to the public and to users of the Memorial Hospital for. further assistance. It has been suggested that the provision of a swimming pool for the nursos is a luxury, but we foel very strongly indeed that this is not so; it may be a luxury for an ,i.ndividua'l but not for an institution such as our hospital. ^ Thei'e is no question but tliat it is * one of the duties oi those in charge of hospitals to provido . f acilities , for heaithy reereation for the nursing stafiE. The . ivork . of . the nurses is arduous, mentally and physically, and we feel that there is uo better way of providing heaithy reereation than by meahs of a swimming .pool, not only for the exereise but also for the facilities it .will afford for sun-bathing. . Perhaps the public does not realise the difiiculty that hospital boards are having to.-day in attracting girls to. tho nursing profession. and also to keep their nurses once they have got them, and it is our duty to make conditions a« attractive as possible. We feel that the presence of a swimming pool at the hospitab together with the tennis court that we have already,.and the few golf holps that we intend to lay down pn surplus land, will attract nurses to oiir hospital and at the same time will give them an esprit de corps in the ifistitution. During the six or seven years tliftt the Eallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital has functioned as a general hospital the nursing staH has played a very large part in the good work that has been done, and therefore we appeal to the public to contribute as liberally as possible to our Swimming Pool FUnd. — Yours, etc.,

CChairman").

.. Exccutive Committee