NURSING PROFESSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 221, 18 September 1930, Page 9

NURSING PROFESSION.

PROVISION FOR TRAINING.

BILL BEFORE ■ PARLIAMENT.

QUESTION OFJRECIPROCITY,

(By Association.) .', '■■

"■The: debate'' oil •■ the : mptioh"\to" commit the,. Nurses - and ■■ Midwiyes- : Eegi&tratibn AmendmenttßiiL-was. : :resumed'f"iii ; ; \ tli& •Hbuse : of Kepreseiitatives- this evening^ :

• • Mr; (Reform, Masterton) ; said there seemeel ;to 'be vision ■with regard' to:the;;cablegram'from-Eng-land' in* reply to the query/ 1 concerning tile effect ,of legisiatioii on reciprocal arrangements... Four main hospitals in New , Zealand which would come within" the scope

of the;bill •would-ih'England be classed ■as'yoluutary;hospitals, a,nd>uch'institutions there; were recognised .as; training schools for nurses. .'Hospitals classified as private mstitutions: in Britain-.were those conducted purely for profit and it was -these hospitals\which- were; not recognised >as training schools.'.. He f contended tliere was ample :■ evidence that reciprocal arrangements would not be prejudiced. . :" ' :, - : ■■■■'.

Unemployment In New Zealand. Mr. W. E. Barnard' (Labour, Napier) said the more one" cbrisidered the objec.tiohs raised .by "tile Trained Nurses' Association, the more onefbecainc cbnvinced the reason was. their./anxiety, over reciprocity. This,"could uiidefstood, because it was. already difficult for all -nurse's trained; in ; ,thisc6ii'n try. to find employment in'iNew'yZealarid. ;He intended -to . support :the';bill, . but he looked /to the. Minister !to reassure tile House.'; that, ' reciprocai ■• arrangements would be.safeguayded.' . ;■:

■ ;• Miv 1C '■ S. .William's ■(Eeforiri. Bay ;of Plenty)-asked the Minister to assure tlie House ] that.' '' the"; Mg\\ : : of efficiency, in -the nursinjj profession would not suiter, in- aiiy way ■ in .consaquence of ,the" Dili He : tlipijglt'; th'e.; Minister

should tell, the House -exactly, what correspondence had passed • between , ;liia Department and England, on the subject of rticiprocity. • .. ' ■-. •.■■/;• -• '. .:■' ;

The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, -Leader of the Opposition, stated the efficiency of the New Zealand trained nurses'was the highest in the world. Every' precaju tion should be taken to avoid sacrificing this position. . •'. . Viewpoint of Labour. ~ , ; The Leader of the'. Labour party," ! Mr* H.;E. Holland, referred to the quality; of trai'aiiig in institutions such ■■ as •". the Lewisham Hospital. There: should ; ivbe no danger of the standard being lowered. Other members' emphasised the VneiSd for assurances . that the -standard;-; of efficiency would riot "be lowered' -aiid that reciprocal arrangements would' not be endangered. ■' . '.:..'•;/

•Mr. K. A. Wright (Keform/WelMgton Suburbs) urged that there should-he some definition of the term "inadequate fee." There should be a maximum sum fixed.. Replying to the debate,-the Minister.; of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stall worthy, said that nurses on qualifying would >till.; be given a State certificate, and that would ensure the maintenance of their efficiency and status, and would ■ also , have;;', a bearing on the reciprocal arrangements with the United Kingdom. He contended it was unreasonable, to suggest that.the Nursing Council of England and Wales would depart from its attitude of the past. He had written to the .council;-in February last and all correspondence on the subject had been submitted to'the Health Committee when the bill was being considered. '■'.', The reply had stated that private hospitals run on a commercial profitmaking basis could hot be recognised as training schools and in the event of New Zealand recognising such training schools the reciprocal arrangement would have to be reconsidered and modified/'He contended that the clement of. dissatisfaction with the reply had been the-out-come of a confusion of terms. He .was quite satisfied that voluntary hospitals, would be recognised as training schools by the Nursing Council, because-si?nilar institutions were recognised in England. The. confusion of terms had been \ the" result of a' different use of the naine "private hospital" in the two countries. \

. The motion to commit the bill? was adopted on a division by 56 votes iovj.4. Tliose voting against the motionvWere •Messrs \ Ansell, Bitchener,.' Campbell, Dickie, Hamilton, Jones, Lihklator, Lysnar, Macmillan, J. A. Nash;* Stemirt, Waitc, Williams, Wright. , : ';.:} \,'.o.