THE TREATMENT OF NURSES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16507, 26 April 1919, Page 10

THE TREATMENT OF NURSES.

TO THE EDITOB 07 "THE PRESS."

g; rj The statements made by Mr J. J Dougall, in his address at Sydenham, are so 'grolsiy extravagant and unfair as to warrant a statement of facts from some one in authority. More tnan doing so, I have no desire to enter into a controversy.

I We wiil tuKe cue accusations seria--1 turn firsilv, that "llic treatment of nurses at tue Ciiiistcuurcii Jlospital is 'liio most fccauciaioiis thing iu our I huiiia-i civiiisauoiiy" and tiiut tiiey are '•treated more slaves ihau human beings." liotn are untrue, extrava- ' "nnz", and a iioel on those in authority, and uutil -Mr cnooses to prove tiiem t-liey can ouiy be dismissed as the vapourings of a mind determined to attain to the position of Chief Magistrate ol' this city at the expense of the l'air name of ocners, and on the shouldeis of tne nurses whom he is trying to make out as oppressed. Mr i)o;:gall states that a nurse on entering hospital, "couldn't live except tnat ttiey are partly supported relatives." 'ilieir pay, ranging irom "£l2 to £-0 a year, out of which they had to buy uniforms and aprons," they had to '"scruo floors" and do "jiienial work," etc., etc. Such is thd statement, the following aro the facts: — A nurse enters on a probationary period of three months to prove hei suitability for her vocation, and as she is only on probation she has to find, to start oif v.itu, her own clothing in the shape of two pink print dresses, only used i'or three months, 12 aprons, four collars, and six pairs of cuffs. After the period of probation when she actually becomes a hospital nurse, all uniforms are found by the and as long as a nurse remains in hospital her uniform is repaired and replenished for her. The nurse's recompense is £20 a year for the first year, not £12 to £20 as stated by Mr Dougall, and it also includes the following, which Mr Dou- i gall nas omitted to state: Comfortable board and lodging, with every convenience —garden, tennis court, otc, etc. —(>-verything that pertains to a refined home.

The money value of the remuneration couJd not be obtained outside for less than 30s a week, but we will put it down at 20s a week. Again, Mr Dougall has omitted to state that part of the recompense is the education given to a nurse so that she may be able to sit for her State and hospital examinations, and so obtains a certificate that carries with it a definite status as a qualified nurse.

The education carries with it the practice of the hospital and attendance at courses of lectures,, and free tuition at the Technical College. It would bo fair to value the education at £12 a year. A first year's nurse therefore has the following recompense: '" £20 a year paid in cash. £52 a year paid as board and lodging. £12 a year paid in free education. . "£B4 A .second year nurse has* ~ I £30 a year paid in cash. i £52 a year paid in board and lodging. £12 a year paid in free education. £94 J A third year nurse has: - £35 a year paid in cash plus the above-named items. A fourth year nurse has: j £57 a year during its first sis ! months paid in cash, plus board and residence. £65 during the last six months plus board and residence. A sister is paid £80 to £100 plus board and residence. These salaries have all recently been amended by an increase. Mr Dougall states that nurses have to scrub foors, and do all _kinds of menial -work. The fact is, nurses are expected and taught to do all work connected with the domestic cleanliness of the sick room. It is untrue that nurses have as a rule to scrub floors. A wards' maid is attached to each ward. Nurses are not asked to undertake menial work in tho sense -that it is servile, and offensive; this is a gross exaggeration. Mr Dougall stated that "the nurse was the handmaiden of the doctor, but what a disparity between the nurses at £10 to £80, aiad the doctor at £2000 or more."

The facts are: I\V nurse gets £10 a year, and no member of the medical hospital staff is raid £2000 or over. And even if the facts wore as Mr Dougall states there would be less disparity between the nursing and medical staff than there is oetween the letral apprentice who probably pays £200 as a premium, keeps .lsmself, and pays for his own education, and probably gets no wages to speak of until he is qualified, and this apprentice's employer vho might be a legal luminary aspiring to civil honours.

A .qualified, medical resident officer is paid £150 a year after studying five years, and paving for bu own education and maintenance. The medical superintendent of this hosnital was until lecently paid £700 a ye'ar. had to be a man of professional standing, and had to find himself. It is unfair and ungenerous of Mr Dougall to throw dust in the public's eyes by making statements that any nurse is paid £10 a year onlv or that ai.y hospital doctor is paid £2000 or over. It is quite contrary to fact.

While prepared to give facts 1 know, nnd approve, t..at it is the duty of the Hospital Boards to improve the pny and living conditions of their staffs, and I am in a position to assure the public that the Boards in recent years have had a d"e recard to the ■position n* *'••»•- -*..«.. —Vl nhlic "-*<* of which they are the custodians. —Yours, etc., WALTER FOX. April 25th. to Tins unrron nv "tte tot.S!«." Sir, —As a member of the Hospital Board I must emphatically protest against the statements regarding nurses' salaries, and treatment, attributed to Mr J J. Bougnll at his meeting in Sydenham last night. It is a pity Mr Bongall did not make sure of his facts before speaking in such a manner. ii. "• re S ard to *te nurses' salaries, these were raised long ago from £12 to for probationers, and a further rise of £2G for probationer*, £3<3 for second-year nurses, and £46 for thirdyear nurses is now under consideration. 11115 will make the nurses at the Cluistchurch Hospital the best paid in any of the four centres of the Dominion. In; «n!F i?«2r and Ztonedin the salaries are 1 £26, £32, and £40 for first, second, and • third-year respectively, while in Wei-! linfftonl they only receive £20, £25, and; i,do. With regard to the uniforms, it is only the initial outfit a probationer is required to furnish, after which all uniforms and aprons are provided by the Board. I u addition, all nursae have their board and very comfortable quarters With regard to the menial work, Mr Dougall is altogether at sea. Each -ward is thoroughly cleaned, floor polished etc., by a -wardsmaid at least once a day, and the nurses are then, | only required to keep them <tidv and tha floors dusted by mops. Of course there have been instances where the staff of wardsniaids have been depleted, and., then the probationers have been r- - quired to do -this work. This work hi-> to be done, a nd no nurse feels it menini. I have known ,the present lady superintendent to go down on her knees and: scrnb the floor, and that, too, since she has been lady superintendent. A nurse must bo trained, and this is part of; the training, and is essential to efficiency, i

To say that tho nurses were treated' like slaves is absurd, and had it noti been made by a maa ***-nJ; n <r for tha

position of Mayor it would bo hardly worth answering. I myself worked in the hospital during tho recent epiclemio as a volunteer help and did the work of a maid, and even in that strenuous time I saw nothing that could give rise to such a statement. In conclusion it -would probably bo a good thing for Air Dougall if he would visit the hcspital and see things as they are for himself. — Yours, etc., RACHEL "W. CHRISTIE. 206 G!oucester street, April 25th.