HOURS OF NURSES.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17973, 19 March 1930, Page 7

HOURS OF NURSES.

(To the Editor.)

Si rj —The statement by the superintendent of the Waikato Hospital, is, 1 think, misleading. He explains, “nurses changing from afternoon to morning duty get 24 hours off.’’ How can that toe ? Nurses changing from afternoon duty to morning go off at 10 p.m., and are called again next morning at 5 arm., making what is known as “the short change,” when they work 10 hours out of 24. They have what is known as the long change when they change from morning to afternoon; they then go off at 2 p.m. and are on next day at 2 p.m. The statement “nurses going off night ■duty had gone on afternoon duty the same day to suit the convenience of the nurses themselves” is incorrect. It is the rule that they go on afternoon duty when coining off night, thereby working 16 hours out of 24. When Ihe superintendent states “nurses work eight hours a day,” he forgets that it is one of those nurses who work eight hours who is called •on for ’phone duty. Why cannot the Waikato Hospital give nurses a day a week off as do all other hospitals in the Dominion? What other hospitals are doing, surely the Waikato Hospital could do. —I am, eto., INTERESTED IN HUMANITY.