SALARY SCALE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 35, 20 November 1943, Page 2

SALARY SCALE.

RATES FOR HOSPITAL NURSES.

THE ASSOCIATION'S PROPOSALS.

ASHBURTON BOARD’S ATTITUDE.

The proposed new classified scale of salaries for nursing staffs was received at the September meeting of the Ashburton Hospital Board from the Hospital Boards’ Association, the matter being dealt, with in committee. The Board’s reply, a copy of which was sent to every hospital board in New Zealand, has been released and is as follows: I have to acknowledge your letter of the 20th ultimo enclosing a salary scale for nursing staff, upon which your executive desires the opinion of the Ashburton Hospital Board. In view of the fact that the Association sponsored a scale of salaries for nurses as recently as 1942, it appears to the Board that the executive must advance some exceptional reasons to justify in such a short time a further revision of salaries in an upward direction. * The fact that the new scale is not to take effect until April, 1944, casts further doubt, it is felt, upon any justification which may be advanced for its necessity. In order to justify the more favourable rates and conditions proposed, it would be necessary to postulate such reasons as: (1) Increased hours worked by nurses. (2) Greater responsibilities assumed by nurses. (3) Rises in salaries of other sections of the hospital community. (4) Adverse salary levels and conditions of work compared with those in other occupations open to women. (5) Increased cost of living. As there appears to exist a great deal of misapprehension concerning the duties, responsibilities and remuneration of nurses, the Board directed that the following comments be made in connection with the above five points: (1) Hours worked by nurses—-In regard to this matter, as it concerns the Ashburton Hospital, and it is thought probably all public hospitals, there is no increase in the hours of work, in fact the hours of work are tending to diminish:—but for the war they would be lower than they are.

Essential Part of Training.

All members of the staff have a complete day off duty each week and have done so for many years,, now. The average working day for nurses extends over eight hours in which may come one or two meal hours and a morning or afternoon tea adjournment. There is an allowance of three weeks annual leave. The working hours of sisters average eight per diem at present. Annual leave amounts to four weeks.

The hours worked as an essential part of training in special departments such as the isolation block and operating theatre, may exceed the general average, but are for strictly limited terms (about six weeks) and are of course dependent upon the amount of work in these departments at a given time.

(2). Responsibilities assumed by nurses.—Concerning this matter, the Board is of the opinion and others also are of the opinion, that there is rather a tendency for less responsibility to be taken by nurses, both on account of diminished inclination and also on account of diminished capacity to do so. There appears to be a readiness to assume power with a lessened appreciation of the responsibility which goes with it.

This, partly comes from the thirst to acquire additional special certificates without first establishing a good practical nursing experience on which to build —a state of affairs which can only be remedied by the Nurses and Midwives Registration Board. (3. Salaries of other sections of the hospital community.—The Board is unaware that other sections of the hospital community have been the recipients of increases in wages, although it is known that the hospital domestic workers are seeking greater remuneration. It would be doing less than justice to other sections of hospital staffs if proceedings were instituted to secure better salaries for nurses alone.

Other Occupations Open to Women.

(4) Salary levels and conditions of work in other occupations open to women. —That the question of salaries of nursing staffs has not been neglected by the Hospital Boards’ Association will be seen from the fact that the executive recommended schedules of salaries in 1938, 1940 and again in 1942, schedules which the Ashburton Hospital Board has attempted more or less to follow. It is considei'ed that a perusal of the 1942 schedule will establish the fact that nurses’ salaries no longer compare unfavourably with those paid to young women of similar age in other occupations for women. It can also rightly be said that in no other occupation are women provided free with a .better degree of comfort in their accommodation when off duty, or with a better standard of diet.

The present sick leave allowance of one week for every year of service granted by the Ashburton Hospital Board appears to be a just one, and is on a par with that granted to other sections of hospital staffs. In addition, it has always been the custom of this Board, on the recommendation of (he Medical Superintendent, to allow sick leave on full pay for the full period of incapacity, without en-

croaehing on the ordinary sick leave allowance, when sickness of a member of the staff has been incurred as the result of duty.

(5) Cost of Living—The Board has it on the authority of the Minister of Finance that this has increased very little since the start of the war. Should the Minister be wrong, there is no section of the community, probably less likely to be affected than the nurses in hospitals, as their expenses are limited practically to clothing (other than uniforms) and amusements.

Supplementary to the consideration of the above, five points, the Board desires to make come general observations on the present state of the nursing profession. Based on the Florence Nightingale tradition, the profession enjoys a high social status. Its reputation has persisted in the lay mind as a tradition of unlimited but under-paid service under very unfavourable conditions. In this modern world, nursing has been put on a completely diffci’ent basis —and few will find fault with the principles involved in the change. From being a fatiguing, ill-rewarded vocation, it has become a definite piofession for on businesslike lines, with limited hours of work, constantly-improving working conditions, and a scale of remuneration for service which bears comparison with that in any other occupation for women.

Probably few nurses who think would claim that the old Florence Nightingale tradition persists, except in an attenuated form. Unfortunately, the average layman is quite ignorant of the great change which has occurred in the profession of nursing, md still more unfortunately, the nursing profession has done little to disabuse him of his ignorance.

It seems hardly necessary to draw attention to the fact that quite apart from direct salary payments and the provision of good board and accommodation, nurses receive such perquisites as the provision of uniforms, subsidies oil superannuation payments, and training at the expense of hospital boards in their probationary years which fits them for their profession and which assures them of well-paid and secure positions.

In conclusion, the Ashburton. Hospital Board cannot stress strongly enough that if stabilisation is not to become an utter farce, a stop must be called immediately to such applications as the one under consideration.