TRAINING OF NURSES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 972, 15 May 1930, Page 10

TRAINING OF NURSES

OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED AMENDMENTS PROTESTS VOICED Special to TUB SUX WELLINGTON, Today. Considerable opposition is b*_ j shown to the amendments to tS i Nursing and Medical Service L! which the Government proposes bring down this Session and wy? is now being circulated in draft torn. The major proposal of the am eni . ment is to alter the provisions go, erning training of nurses so as , allow private hospitals to beco*. training schools. Already the Ne* Zealand Trained Nurses’ Association has met and voiced a protest, on the ground that the proposed change would lower the standard and effect that efficiency of the service, present-day medical service demand! a more comprehensive training than can be obtained in private hospital In addition, the British Medical Association has considered the ques _ tion very carefully and the Council has unanimously passed a resolution registering its opposition to anv change in the present system unless the standard and scope of the pre«ent training is fully maintained. The question arises whether the Government has not acted against the advice of the Health Department officials. Two years ago, application was made for the Lewisham Hospital to be recognised as a training ground for nurses and the request was dedined by the Coates Government, a departmental statement setting out the reason why the application could not be met. The principal point at issue was the fact that private hospitals did not provide the same allround experience for nurses as they gained in public institutions, due >'o the fact that private hospitals arc largely inhabited by surgical cases and experience with medical cases was limited. In addition. It was pointed out that if the concession were made the existing arrangements between New Zealand and the British Nursing Board would have to be revised. At present, New Zealand has been granted reciprocity by the British authorities a concession which Australia has not received, due to the fact that up u> the present New Zealand has not recognised private hospitals as training schools. If the Bill becomes law this reciprocity may be lost, a fact which is also agitating the trained nurses of today.