NURSES HOURS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 201, 22 February 1912, Page 6

NURSES HOURS.

DISCUSSION BY HOSPITAL BOARD. NO ALTERATION TO BE MADE. The question of nurses' hours was discussed by the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at its meeting yesterday. The matter was brought up by receipt of a circular letter at a previous meeting from the Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valintine) asking all boards in the Dominion to forward him their opinions on the subject. Consideration was held over from ?ast meeting in order to afford the Superintendent (Dr. Walker) of the New Plymouth Hospital an opportunity of submitting a report and conferring with members. MISS McLEAN'S REPORT.

The Inspector-General also forwarded to the Board a copy of the report prepared by Miss McLean, assistant inspector, on the whole question. In her report Miss McLean stated that systematic division of hours for those engaged in nursing the sick in public hospitals was a matter very difficult to arrange, and should always be made sufficiently elastic to fit in with unexpected contingencies and the exigencies of work, which was constantly Varying in its requirements, and could not be classed with employments in which the human and living element was not involved. FOUR CONSIDERATIONS.

Miss McLean added that the main points to be taken into consideration! were: (1) The needs of the patient; I (2) the training of the probationer, and j the development in her of the qualities which will make her a successful nurse; 3) the necessary time for work, rest, recreation, and study, in order that tha probationer may go through her term of training successfully and without detriment to her health; (4) the financial powers of the institution. Going into details under each head, Miss McLean said that 12 hours was not too long duty for special work with one or two patients, except in very trying cases. Practical work among the patients being the most essential way of studying the profession of nursing, that work should be looked upon as the main objective of the day's occupation. Night nurses' hours should be approximately the same as those of day. nurses, but little or no ward work should be done by the former,. The time off duty of a nurse should be divided into that of rest, recreation and study, including at least eight hours in bed. For recreation in the form of amusement it was not needful to have much time every day. This should be entered into on days of longer leave. Lectures should be attended when off duty. "THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO CHARITY."

Study frojn books was not as valuable as in the wards. Nurses should be prepared to meet emergencies, and when necessary work longer hours than usual. It was their contributien to charity. Miss McLean added: "One improvement is suggested—one day of leave each week instead of that fortnightly as formerly allowed, thus bringing the total number of hours on duty nearer to the maximum approved of modern opinion. A twelve hours' day would be as much in excess of what is right to exact from nurses

as the limitation to regular eight hours' duty falls short of what is desirable for the training of the nurses and work of the hospital." Taking all points mentioned into consideration, Miss McLean recommended a

system of hours, which she proceeded to outline in detail, taking as her standard

a ward of 25 beds, special ward duty and theatre duty. The roster stipulated among other things the following conditions:—(l) For ward duty, 10 hours a day, not including time allowed for meals, and one whole day off for each nurse per week. (2) Special ward duty: Twelve noon to 12 midnight, with two or three days' leave according to length of time served. (3) Night duty: 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., with half an hour interval for meals, and two to three days' leave after completion of night duty term. (4) Theatre duty: Ordinary duty, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with interval for meals, longer hours t» be made up on non-operating days. (4) Sisters' hours should not be specified. (6) All nurses should have three weeks' leave annually.

DR. WALKER'S VIEWS. Reporting verbally, Dr. Walker said he had given the matter very serious consideration, and had had many conversations with the matron on the subject. To his mind it was a matter of the very, very greatest difficulty. He had to arrange for reasonable recreation as well as work. The, work would never be done unless the nurses' health was studied. He could not recommend any change for the present. In the first place, the inconveniences associated with the present building made the working conditions ever so much harder for the nurses. The present system at New Plymouth was only nominally an eight hours' system. He could not recommend the Board to adopt Miss McLean's recommendations for various reasons, which he proceeded to detail. It would be unwise, he thought for Taranaki to strike out on its own in the matter of any special system. He would certainly not approve of more than eight hours being worked by first-year probationers, except on very special occasions. The twelve-hours system might be worthy of trial by the hospitals in the Dominion before its final

adoption." The maximum for night nurses should not exceed 10 hours. Work in the operating-theatre was always extra duty, but they never had any trouble in asking the nurses to go on duty for that purpose. The work was voluntarily performed, but it was necessary, and it should serve to show members that it was not very possible to run an eight hours' daj in "any hospital in the Dominion without "a very, very big staff." The present system at New Plymouth was working very well, especially in regard to training. Dr. Walker answered several questions from members, and remarked that if a twelve-hour system was adopted it would be much more consistent, .the work would be done in the time, and there would be no rush. However, it would have to be I a question of general adoption by the hospitals. Perhaps in a month or two lie would recommend some change in regard to the staffing of the sisters, but apart from this he was opposed to any alteration whatsoever being made in the conditions of the hospital staff until they were housed in the new building. Anv fixed conditions of employment would have to be uniform throughout New Zealand. Concluding, Dr. Walker paid a high tribute to the loyalty and tireless energy of the nursing staff at the hospital.

NO RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE. In the course of a general discussion, members indicated that their views coincided with those of Dr. Walker rather than those nf Miss McLean, and the chairman, and Messrs. McAllum and J. R. Hill expressed pleasure at the nature of the report, the latter two statin? that "had it heen otherwise they would have opposed it tooth and nail."' The Board then decided to inform the Tnspcctor-Gencral of Hospitals that its intention was "to adhere to the present arrangement for the present time."

Prior to this decision biing come to, Mr. J. Brown protested that the Board was running under false colors in allowing other hospitals to labor under the erroneous impression that the New Plymouth institution was being run under an eight-hours' system. Opportunity should he taken, he contended, to disabuse their minds of this impression. Other members, however, thought otherwise.