THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1901.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 191, 20 August 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1901.

MANY people will have noticed B that a Bill providing for the registration of nurses is at present It before the House, and may have!} given it merely a passing thought B But the report of Dr MacGregor, B| Inspector - General of Hospitals,*? shows it to be a measure of which B* the need is urgently felt, Inß sketching the gradual rise cfffb nursing as a profession women, from the time of . liadyfci Florence Nightingale down, Dfß : MacGregor says that the early® enthusiasm of this great move*® merit has long since faded imaß* the light Of common day,.and iu® this country young women,® though often, no doubt,. inspiredß'c by altruistic enthusiasm and the® halo which still Irradiates tbBB nurse’s work, find themselveiß* simply engaging in one of many occupations which give anß 3 outlet for energy and ability** Then he finds that here, as 0 1 8 where, the great difficulty iflß securing a properly efficient! staff is rooted in the question, and the “ eternally still'! * hoped-for alternative of marriagol paralyses to a very great the - efforts of all who aim at! the association of eftort to raisfll * the standard and status of body of women workers,. and •*< nurses among the rest.“ Beside®'"'® this, it appears that only in thw largest hospitals has it been fonnw: \ possible to give any systemati® trainingjo nurses, or to provide! ' any satisfactory way of testifying! I and certifying their efficiency bj!; examination. “In many bow : pitals,” says the Inspecto® General, “not merely are probationers not properly taugb!® - ]j but there is a positive tendency® which is encouraged on the scort®* of expense, to have as many pro!' \ batiouers as possible who get n® 'i pay lor a period, and often a® \ regular instruction. The fesulil is such an output of so-calle® , hospitabtrained nurses that tb«|'■', profession is nearly swamped them. They call themselves P® vate nurses, though they in mawi; j cases have no certificate, anl| < could not pass any kind of all examination. Doctors, too, bee® lessly introduce such persons inlp| 4 the homes of their patients, wbe®§ £ -they are quite unfit to the most ordinary of a nur»BiM • mi * duties,- They, know nursing, but they add a new affljjl ,* very real, as well as costly tefJjH to sickness and death. They not, or cannot cook towards the comfort and propßj: feeding of their patients. Tbjpl, are chiefly remarkable for throb incessant demands for haviß®|' everybody wait upon them, aX@ are in some cases yery-danffjjfe rous members of any housebolßE Promotion has come to many flp them by mere seniority, thoaßßp they lack the qualities that wobBK make them successful outside tBB| hospital. Satisfied with their pJB| and position they remain (flaSl growing hard apd mechanical«g their *ork and feeling: Tear HK they take leMimemt int|H||

Itreiun of juniors passing through their wards, tie more and mom disinclined to expend their time and energy in the careful leading of What and how to observe, jj OW best to relieve minor disjomforts and v to cheer and sympathise with their patients. In' other words, they either cannot' or do not really train each new probabationer.” No comment is necessary. When a nurse is wgagcd.lt is an absolute necessity that she should be fully qualified j(or her work, and any means by by which this condition can be guaranteed will be welcome. The sill now before the House will not seek in any way to limit a person’s right to engage an unqualified nurse, it merely provides for the annual publication of a pliable list of nurses properly trained and tested by State examination. Then there is little ■doubt that where nursing attendance was necessary no one would hesitate between one whose ability was known, and one who JIIGHT be a“ dangerous member ■of any household.”