CORRESPONDENCE.

NZ Truth, Issue 75, 24 November 1906, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

MATRON AND PROBATIONER.

A Blenheim Hospital Scandal.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,-As I am aware that "Truth" aims for "justice every time," I ask you to publish the following statement of a case of interest to Blenheim readers, especially as I think it presents a slightly ' different aspect to that put forward by the Marlborough sausage, wrappers : Some time ago a young lady applied for an appointment , on the nursing staff of the Wairau Hospital, and, following the usual procedure, was m due course installed, subject to a three months' term of probation. At the end of the three months the probationer approached the matron and enquired whether the latter intended recommending, at the forthcoming Board meeting, that she be permanently appointed to the staff. The reply was m the negative, so the probationer, who, by the bye, is named Moira McNab, immediately took up her worldly goods and departed to her home. Shortly after, the matron, Miss Pulton, received a letter from a lawyer" named Sam McNab, father of the aforementioned probationer nurse, containing violent abuse and insult towards the person addressed. The cause of this act by the lawyer was simply that the matron had kindly answered a question which; had she so chbren, she could have ignored entircb" and left the nurse to discover at the Board meeting whether or no she was to l)e retained. . :

Anyhow <.' the Board met last week and ' a number of members, friends, cf the. McNab, took the first opportunity to make a cowardly, and quite unwarranted attaolc ' on the integrity ■ of the matron, who is, as is testified by the medical officer, an efficient and capable matron. One memfcer of the Board, who smells strongly of sheep dip, enmiired if two .years' experience as a nurso was ' considered sufficient equipment for a. matron. Now this animal-breeder isa member of a Hospital Board and yet is "not aware, to judge him by his OAyn words. • that a nurse . must have served three years before she is ' able to become certificated. As a matter of fact, Miss Fulton, has had some years experience, both m public and private hospitals. For yeara Wairait Hospital has had continual changing of matrons and it can hardly be Pondered at, , when the manner m which the latter are treated by the Board, is considered.

Another member of that body, who by the way, also gave off a strong effluvium, which reminded the present scribe of when he was "on the farm," said the turning away of a probationer was. exceptional and merited an enquiry. Now the case is. as follows : It is not denied by the Board that the matron has the power to report on probationers, but it is practically suggested that the term, of-pro-bation is simply a farce, and that all who go on as probationers have to all intents joined the permanent staff, and therefore the three months set aside as a probationary term is a oheap trick on the part of an addle-headed Board tq obtain (three months' work from a girl /for the Scotchman's favorite amount— "nix.". (They are nearly all Scotch on. the Wairau Hospital Board, y

To touch on another point m the affair. (This affair has several points.) A third member arose and with the air of an Edison explaining the invention of the age (or Garnet Holmes explaining the Holmes-Allen trolley-head) : announced that he had interviewed 'a nwntyar of patients," whd had all .said that Miss McNab was a most efficient nurse. Heaven knows (if this member speaks the truth) who these were, for this writer interviewed several patients, two of . whom were at the institution all the time

Miss McNab was there, and all so interviewed agreed that Miss McNab, as a ml. Avas popular with patients and stafi ; but as a nurse was a complete misfit. It is m the interests of just-ice that I a^lc you to publish this letter, for it is evident that m the Blenheim rags Miss Pulton will obtain no hearing and it is In i-anes such as this, where justice is onesided, that "Truth" is looked to to step m and state the case for the persecuted. Blenheim, some years ago, by slander and underhand work, drove away Dr. Qlegborn, one of the finest surgeons south of the line, and now, with the luck usually credited to drunks and children, has obtained a matron hard to equal, and a medical officer with a big future ; and yet the fool Hospital Board cannot let. their officials do their duty, but must pester and verbally attack them; m. every ncssible way and on every possible occasion. It is common talk m . Blenheim that had matrons m the ! past taken the firm stand taken by SVTiss Fulton, the present staff of tho, Wairau Hospital would be far more efficient than it is to-day.— -Yours, "SAN TOY."