HOSPITAL BOARD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 25, 10 November 1930, Page 5

HOSPITAL BOARD

NURSES’ QUALIFICATIONS.

CERTIFICATES IN MATERNITY. ATTITUDE OF DEPARTMENT. The Ashburton Hospital Board met this morning, when there were present: Messrs A. Horsey (chairman), W. T. lAII, F. Frampton, C. A. Campion, G. S. Hardy, W. Bryant, W. G. Gallagher and Dr. J. R. Wells. The chairman reported as follows: — Medical Superintendent: The following are the hospital statistics for October: Patients remaining September 30, males 26, females 31, total 57; patients admitted October 1-31, 38, 50, 88; total treated 64, 81, 145; discharged October 1-31, 36, 53, 89; died October 1-31, 1,1, 2, remaining October 31, 27, 27, 54. Outpatients during month 229, outpatients treatments 427, X-rays 43, Ultra Violet Ray treatments 42, Bacteriological examinations 121, operations during month 50; massage treatments 272, diathermy treatments 142, plaster cases 2. Matron’s Report: Nurse Cornish returns for duty on December 1. Nurse Lister is at present on sick leave. Nurse Skinner is a patient in Hospital with a minor ailment. Nurse Clark returns from leave on November 7. Nurse Wylie will then go l for annual leave. Nurses Mowat and Eaden passed the Hospital examination, enabling them to sit for the Final State Examination on December 3 and 4.

Malvern Home: For October, 11 patients were admitted, 10 discharged and 4 remain. Nurse Thompson, from Cromwell Hospital, has taken Nurse Woodfield’s place. Methven Home: Two patients were admitted, and three discharged. At present we have no patients in Hospital. 1 Rakaia Home: Four patients were discharged, three were admitted and one remains.

Secretary and Treasurer: Infectious diseases—Borough: Tuberculosis 1, Scarlet Fever 1. County—Scarlet fever (Longbeach) 1, tuberculosis (Tinvvald) 1, erysipelas (Methven) 1. Laundry: During the month 20237 articles were washed at a cost of Is 2.3 d per dozen. Finance: The following is a statement of receipts and payments for the month: Receipts—Balance, September 30 £457 16s lid, patients / fees £5Bl 5s Id, levies maintenance £l5B Is 9d, subsidy levy £596 2s 2d, sundries £72 17s 3d, total £1866 3s 2d. Payments—Maintenance £1364 12s Bd, administration £B7 16s 3d, outdoor relief £lO2 19s 7d, other boards £66 11s 6d, sundries £lll 9s 4d,' balance £132 13s lOd, total £1866 3s 2d. Referring to the proposal to purchase a carpet for the nurses’ room at the Methven Hospital, Dr. Wells said that the Board should be careful of its expenditure at the present time. On his motion, it was decided to defer the matter until the next financial year. Mr Gallagher said! the ladies of the district had, in recent years, met with gratifying success in raising funds for the provision of Christian comforts for the patients, and the committee recommended that the same endeavours be made this year and that an effort be made to enlist support in country districts. The recommendation was Mr Bryant stated that nothing had been done with reference to_ the erection of the cottages at Waipiata, as the estimate for each of them was £SOO, while the lowest tender was £6OO. The Waipiata Committee decided to confer with the lowest tenderer.

The reports were adopted. The Department of Health wrote stating it was anxious that hospital boards, in the case of appointments to the general nursing staff of a hospital, should give preference to nurses who possess the certificate of maternity nurse, but should not give preference to any nurse on the that she holds the certificate of midwife, unless her duties involve the practice of midwifery. By so doing the training facilities available for midwives would be preserved for those who definitely proposed to practise midwifery. Dr. Wells said it was his fixed opinion that maternity training did not make any difference to the general efficiency of a surgical nurse. A maternity or midwifery certificate should not be essential in the appointment of a nurse to a public hospital staff. If this were enforced it might mean the loss of the services of a good 1 medical nurse. The Medical Superintendent (Dr. H. S'. Billcliff) said that at least one member of the staff should have had training as a maternity nurse. It was decided to endorse the attitude of the Department. The Department of Health wrote approving the appointment of Dr. JConnor as assistant anaesthetist at the Ashburton Hospital.