HOSPITAL NURSES' HOURS.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 163, 29 July 1897, Page 2

HOSPITAL NURSES' HOURS.

TO THE EDITOR. Silt,— I am much interested in the question of the working hours of hospital nurses generally, but more particularly of course of these in Waikato. From the notice in your columns of the 17th inst. of the discussion at the last meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board, 1 see that the report of the committee, which has been considering the nursing stiff, has been refered to the doctor to see if the proposed staff would really be sufficient. I hope the doctor in his reply will either fix the number of hours at eight only, or throw ou the Board the onus «.f fixing the hours. There is no body of workers whose hours we should be more cartful to limit than the Hospital nurses. They work in the midst of disease, and should themselves always be as nearly as possible in the best of health. There is no time in which wc are more ready to contract dL-easc than when wc are in a jaded condition. There is no comparison between the work of anyone in a jaded state and his work when in good health ; and there is no occupation which demands more that all the powers of the workers should be at their best than that of nursing among the sick. In the interest of the patient the reform is called for if not iu the interest of the labourer. I say advisedly the reform, for I am convinced that a change is generally needed throughout our Hospitals. I have conversed with nuts s who have worked in Auckland and in various other places in New Zealand and Australia, and almost universally they have spoken strongly of the severe strain of the long hours. Those I have spoken with have, more over, generally been then out of office and could give an impartial opinion. I have known mure than one wlio.se health has been shattered by the long-hours' sy.-tem. The public, as well as the nurses, owe gratitude to Mr Herries, for his labours to shorten the hours. I hope Mr Herries will not rest until he gets the hours shortened, not to ten but to eight I would go so far as to advocate that the eight hours should include, say one or two hours for the study, which is required to enable the nurses to pass the neces-ary examinations for their certificate?. The one work is just as hard in its way and as necessary as the other. If the hours are fixed at eight wc may bo sure they will now and again, indeed often, merge into ten when one of the staff is laid up or the number of patients has suddenly increased. Let us not forget what an anonymous correspondent has reminded us of that nurses' work lias to go on Sunday, holiday and weekday, all very much alike. 1 do not torget that the work of many others is also continuous. It is only parsons who, as some think, are piivileged to rest six days and work only one. But this only in passing. There is no work more wearing than that of nurses. The physical work is great, but so also is the mental statin. The anxiety must often be intense. All the powers of mind and body are continually at work. Then the nurses live practically in the institution, and cannot get away from ollice and dismiss business during recreation hours, as the man of business hopes to do by having his home some way off fi om his work. I have more to say but my letter is already longer than I intended it should be. In conclusion let me say I hope the doctor, Mr Herries, and a'l the other members of the Hospital Board will labour together for the eight hours' system at the Waikato Hospital, and so set a good example to other places. Jf they do this, I believe Auckland is in a mood to do the same, and then I hope Mr Herries will go a step further and move Parliament to intervene. I believe Parliament has sometimes done In nil by interfering, but it litis certainly done much good, and it would certainly il) g-.od by interfering in such a case as this, for nurses as a body are themselves not in a position to do much to get their hours shortened.— I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Wm. de L. Wilms The Vicarage, Cambridge, July "iOth, IS!>7.

I\S.~-I have been trying to find time to write before, but my six days' have hitherto been taken up with the usual frivolous amusements of a parson.