HIGHER STATUS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 218, 14 September 1944, Page 4

HIGHER STATUS

MENTAL NURSES

PSYCHIATRIC WARDS URGED

. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day. The elevation of the status of mental nurses in New Zealand was stated by the Minister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer, to be the main purpose of the, Nurses and Midwives' Registration Amendment Bill, when he moved the second reading of the measure in the House of Representatives last night. After dealing with the question of registration and other clauses in the bill, Mr. Nordmeyer referred to a clause requiring hospital boards which have psychiatric wards, or who arrange for the care of psychiatric patients, to have in charge of those patients, imless expressly exempted— and that might be necessary in the early years—fully-trained psychiatric nurses.' In the Dunedin and Wellington public ■ hospitals there were already psychiatric wards, and it was intended to press on other hospital boards, and certainly the major boards like Auckland and Christchurch, the desirability of having similar wards, and that provision might also have to be made by certain of the other Targe hospitals. Mr. Nordmeyer also stressed the importance of reciprocity between general and psychiatric nurses. He explained that the purpose of a new clause added to the bill since it was introduced was to remove a doubt that had arisen as to the authority of the Registration Board to deal with nurses requiring discipline. It would now be entirely at the discretion of the board whether or not the name of a nurse who had offended was removed from the register. Previously the board had no alternative but to remove from the register the name of .a nurse who had been brought into public contempt. Opposition's Support The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, said the measure was simple, but important, and that bills like it should be introduced if for no other reason than to focus attention on matter's that members should be fully informed .about. So far as the administration of the Mental Hospitals Department was concerned he would : pay tribute to the head Of the Department, Dr. T. G. Gray, and all who served under him. The Opposition would support the bill. Mr. Holland suggested that the Government should consider sending some of its senior nurses or doctors to Britain and the United States so that they could study overseas methods and be able to teach psychiatric nursing in New Zealand. The object of the bill should be to reduce the incidence of mental disease, not merely to cure it or treat it. Causes should be examined and removed. The bill was read a second time and in the committee stage the additional clause described by the Minister, giving disciplinary powers to the Registration Board, was added. The bill was then reported and passed.