DISTRICT NURSE SCHEME

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 71, 20 April 1909, Page 4

DISTRICT NURSE SCHEME

FUNDS AVAILABLE AT L'Jli'lT. The settlers in the Uruli and surrounding districts have raised or guaranteed sutl'icient money to warrant tne Hospital Board in asking Dr. Valintiu" to proceed with the arrangement* Jo: the establishment of a cerliiicaicil nurse in the district. The Board's secretary will act accordingly. The matter was introduced at t,lu lloard meeting yesterday by Mr. O'Sullivan, who seized the opportunity of asking Dr. Lealham, the .medical' superintendent, a question which had been exercising the minds'of the people in hi? district. They wanted to know whether the nurse could obtain from Dr. Lcathiini free advice upon the treatment of a case under her charge. Dr. Letitluim replied promptly, "Of course." He would he nut only'willing but pleased to give her every assistance ill this way. .No one knew better than doctors did what a boon would be conferred upon tile settlers in the country districts by the establishment of it trained nurse in a convenient centre. Every medical man would be glad,to see this'step taken. With a trained nurs? in charge of a patient a doctor felt relieved of a vast: amount of worry, for the simple rca-o,i that the foundation of successful nursing was cleanliness, a quality sadly lacking iu many, though not all, of the women who set up anurses without having had the proper course 'of training. Every trained nurse, he said, was an inestimable asset to tile district in which she was living. .Mr. Brown: Yes. if she's the right sort. But I know a trained nurse in our district who wants two or three women to wait on her. Dr. Lcatham said that unfortunately there were such cases, but they were not common.

Several members wanli'il to know whether this nurse to lie appointed would undertake any household duties. In short, would she' take the plaee of tin- mother in a house where the mother was ill' Would she wash tin- baby, and so on?

Dr. Leatham replied that no nurse could bo a good nurse and a charwoman al the same time. She could not maintain that surgical cleanliness, which was so important, if she had all the work ot a farmhouse upon her hands. "Nursing."' he said. "Is an art. and it must lie 1 " dissociated from charring. No woman can do both and do justice to her patient."