NURSES' REGISTRATION. The Old Fashioned Midwife.

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 259, 17 June 1905, Page 6

NURSES' REGISTRATION. The Old Fashioned Midwife.

THE Premier's concern" for the "nations yet unborn" has been responsible for some up-to-date legislation under "The Nurses Registration Act," and, although the newly-established Government maternity homes may be a blessing, it is conceivable that to the poor (who are the most prolific) the blessing may not be undiluted There isn't any question, that the insanitary, ignorant, and selfish person of the "Sairey G-amp" variety is the person whom the Government intends to remove from the profession, substituting nurses of intelligence, who shall have such training as m the opinion of the authorities will fit them to become skilful midwives Now, up to the present time, the births of young New Zealanders have been looked after by hundreds of women (worthy mothers themselves), who, in a very large number of cases, have become thoroughly qualified by long experience, and it has been thought that an injustice was about to be done to these women by sweeping them out, and substituting young spinsters, whose qualifications were only the prescribed "course of instruction." We find, however, on enquiry, that the existing midwives will not have to undergo any course if they register before the expiration of the present year, and that they may practice provided only that two medical men certify to their qualifications and the small registration fees are paid * * * After January Ist next, the oldfashioned nurse, who has been too proud to register with the new girl nurses, will retire to the shades, and a good many mothers who have been hitherto faithfully served will be sorry. The present regulations have been framed mainly for the help of the poorer class of patient The poorer class of patient has, up to now, depended entirely on the maternity nurse, not only for midwifery, but housewifery In fact, the old-fashioned nurse "took hold"

of the affairs of the household completely, and relieved the patient and the patient's husband and children of anxiety. * • ■♦ Now, with the ultimate wiping out of the housewife-midwife, what's going to happen to the family that can't afford servants to wait on them, not to speak of waiting on the nurse 1 Everybody that isn't a millionaire knows the man who goes to the doctor and says "Doctor, please send us a good nurse, but for God's sake don't send us a 'trained nurse The man may be a fool, but he's looking for a person to "take hold,' and he doesn't as a rule feel that a young girl, even though she may have attended the statutory number of lying-m cases, is the sort of person to "take hold." * • • The danger seems to be that the profession of midwifery may become too "naice," and, however skilful and beautifully capped and aproned professional nurses may be m the sickroom, the patient isn't going to< have a very good time if she feels that tiie household is neglected. However estimable the trained lady nurse may be, she has ever, up to now, shown a disinclination to take any responsibility other than that attaching to her specific duties, and, while there ia no doubt the new regulations will wipe out the "Gamp" female, it is obvious they will ultimately upset many households where previously the domestic nurse calmed the tumult. Finally, doctors are — or should be — keen observers, and doctors don't recommend "Gamps," and incompetents don't survive long A doctor doesn't like the death of patient or child laid at his door, and it is fairly safe to believe that the mar jority of midwives now practising — if they have practised long — have justified their claim to be considered skilled persons.