NURSES AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1915, Page 3

NURSES AND THE WAR.

WORK FOR SOME AT HOME. A CIVIL MEDAL SUGGESTED. "I think that at the present time the work which is being done by the civil nurse is not sufficiently recognised by the public," remarked Dr. E. A. Walker at yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Board. "Every nurse who stays in hospitals here 'now thinks she is not doing her duty to the country, but these nurses are really doing their share nobly in keeping the flag Hying. There is 110 doubt the military needs are urgent, and must be considered first, but at the same time the civil needs should be considered." Dr. Walker added that all the nurses who had gone from the New Plymouth Hospital to the war had received their stripes for the work they were doing in Egypt, and this was the highest recognition of the splendid work the nurses were doiii, 1 ;.

Mr. J. Brown hoped nothing would be done to induce nurses to remain in the hospital if they wanted to go to the front. If necessary .every trained nurse in the hospitals should be sent to the front, for there were plenty of women in New Plymouth—in fact, throughout the Dominion—who could efficiently do the work carried out by the nurses in the hospitals. -Mr. Macßevnolds asked Dr. Walker if he thought the nurses received adequate salaries for the work which they were now asked to do.

Dr. Walker said that at present he would not suggest any alteration of the scale of salaries. Nurses were doing their duty in going to the front, while others were doing their duty here. It was, he felt, harder to remain at home and fill responsible positions than it was to go to the war, and lie would like to hear that a special medal was going to he struck for those who had done faithful and responsible services at home during the war. The nurses who had gone to the war would receive a military medal, and Dr. Walker thought nurses who had done good work at home should receive similar recognition.