MALE NURSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 55, 7 March 1939, Page 8

MALE NURSES.

Seeing that there is a shortage of nnrtu, . I fail to see why male nurses, or medial orderlies, could-not be trained to meet ta* situation, as every Hospital Board is at at wits end to know how to meet the shortage of nurses. Suggestions hare been put forvavl by Hiss Lambie, director of nursing seraeM of Xew Plymouth, also by Miss Croft, matm of the Napier Hospital, for the training af male nurses as medical orderlies to relief* tk acute shortage. t lf facilities were given kt the training of men in hospitals they "WpaM not only relieve the nnnses of work undesirable to them hut also make good the shortage k the training staff. Hiss Croft has had fk; experience of male nurses during and after tk< war, and I am sure that there are many Btktv adapted for this humanitarian work, if ahf the opportunity were open. Having had tii privilege of working with a few doctor* kr the capacity of a male nurse, I find the work most interesting, both from the medical anl surgical side. Mr. Purvis, of Wellingtoiif urged that male aids should, be engaged, to relieve nurses of some of the work. He statoi he had seen three nurses wrestling with a ma» patient and that a porter to whom thej appealed for help had refused to give. vs Providing a man has an v - understanding anl sympathetic feeling for his fellows fc willing to devote his life to suffering humanity, why not give him the opportunity of entering a hospital and training for this noble work, as they do in other parts of the world? B. LUES. I