Forty mothers at Plunket meeting

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 40, 26 March 1985, Page 4

Forty mothers at Plunket meeting

After advertising unsuccessfully for a part time Plunket Nurse to serve the Ohakune/Raetihi area, the Waimarino Plunket Committee has been told they can now try to recruit a full-time nurse. This announcement came at a public meeting held in the Lions' Den in Arawa Street last Wednesday afternoon, which was attended by Mrs Anne Cressey, the director of Plunket nursing services, based in Dunedin, Mrs Joan Hunt, Plunket executive councillor for the Wanganui and Taranaki districts, Miss Nancy Frampton, who has been travelling across from Wanganui every week to act as relieving Plunket Nurse, as well as about 40 mothers and representatives from Ohakune and Raetihi sub branches of Plunket. Local Plunket spokesperson, Mrs Diana Mcllwrick, told the meeting that there had been concern within the area when Mrs Dorothy Scarrow, the Waimarino representative on the Wanganui Hospital Board, had retired as Plunket Nurse a little over a year ago. "Over the last twelve months we have had four Plunket Nurses which has been very unsettling to the mothers and children, one never knows who is going to be at the rooms and although the advice given is helpful, it is not always consistent." She said that the recent appointment of Karitane Nurse, Vanessa Hutton, for

nine hours every week was an important one for the Waimarino but that her hours desperately needed to be increased. "With so many new families in the area, there is rarely any family support which means when a mother

or child is hospitalised, the fathers'and friends'resources are often stretched to breaking point." Mrs Mcllwrick added that many husbands work shift hours and are away continued on page 5

Plunket continued

from home for long periods, creating- problems at home for the mothers., "We feel that if a full time Plunket Nurse was appointed, the area would be well served, in that she would be able to offer advice both before and after birth. "She could also visit playcentre, kindergarten and preschoolers giving advice in hygiene etc." Mrs Mcllwrick was adamant that there would be plenty of work for a full time Plunket Nurse and that they would also find it easier to recruit a single income person for the full time positlon. She added that the expenses incurred by a nurse travelling from Wanganui was crippling the Plunket funds and was putting unnecessary pressure on young mothers who spend a great deal of their time

assisting with fund-raising. Chairperson, Mrs Margaret. Horne, thanked Mrs Mcllwrick for her report then called upon Mrs Cressey to talk to the meeting and answer any questions directed to her. Mrs Cressey told the gathering that an application could be made to Head Office to cover the additional travelling expenses and she suggested that that be done immediately to alleviate the financial problems being suffered by the local Plunket committee. Her Society were training on average about 50 women a year to become Plunket "Nurses and although some of those had been offered a bursary before the course in return for a bonding period in the Waimarino, no-one

had taken up the offer. This prompted one mother to ask whether those women had a pre-conceived idea about the area, believing it to be a "hicktown" with little to offer. Other mothers stated that perhaps one of their numbers should act to inform the trainees of the benefits of living in the Waimarino area. Those who had moved to the region more recently, told Mrs Cressey that before they came here, they had no idea what a tremendous place it was to live. Maree Francis, who will be shortly opening a child care centre in Ohakune, told the meeting that she would be prepared to care for the new Plunket Nurse's children free of charge if that

would help to bring a 1 suitable person to the area. She added that accommodation may also be a stumbling block in which case the local Plunket Society could assist by offering either free accommodation or low rental housing. Miss Frampton emphasised to everyone that they could rely on her to visit the area weekly as long as she was still breathing and that she would continue to assist' the local Plunket committee by defraying some expenses to the Wanganui committee by visiting mothers along the Parapara Highway enroute to Raetihi. Mrs Cressey stressed that she would continue in her efforts to find a suitable nurse for the area as soon as possible and thanked those who attended the meeting for giving their time.