NURSING SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 May 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

NURSING SERVICE

AUXILIARY SCHEME. TAKEN UP BY WELFARE LEAGUE. It is hoped that before very long New Zealand will have an organised Auxiliary Nursing service, that will be ready to give assistance in times of emergency such as war, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, or other disasters. Because of the emergency nature of such relief services, the ranks will be largely filled by volunteers, with a small professional staff to provide expert leadership. The objections to such a service would be the lack of proper training and experience on the part of its members. The best will in the world cannot take the place of training, and knowledge, and unprepared workers would prove an embarrassment rather than an assistance. It is hoped therefore that men and women will enroll themselves in classes for instruction in first aid and home nursing, under the auspices of St John Ambulance Brigade, or the Red Cross; both societies have been doing splendid work along these lines, and certificates are issued to those who prove themselves proficient after instruction and practice.

An emergency precautions committee has recently been set up in New Zealand to provide a Dominion wide organisation for control of emergency in any locality or in time of National disaster, such as war. Its control extends to essential services such as food, fire, water, electricity, medical transport and nursing assistance. The Minister of Internal Affairs is chairman, and with him are representatives of the government departments, medical men, trained nurses, members of the Red Cross Order of- St John, marine, navy, and air departments, and many other bodies, so that the committee is a comprehensive one. Apart from services at the scene of disaster, it is planned to use V.A.D.’s to replace trained nurses in hospitals, when these have been depleted of their usual staff. It might be necessary to use one V.A.D. to every four nurses. The main point to remember is that such aid is of little or no use, unless the volunteer is prepared, adaptable to discipline, and trained to cope with the work demanded, and willing to conform to the regulations of the hospital,. It wilj, therefore, be clearly understood that some form of training is necessary, and that this training should be taken as soon as possible, so that in these troublous times a band of V.A.D.’s will be ready and fully prepared to lend their services the moment they are required. The Masterton Women’s National Welfare I eague has taken up the question of a nursing service.