OVERWORKED.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18549, 26 November 1925, Page 7

OVERWORKED.

NURSING PROFESSION. HEALTH AFFECTED. The straip placed upon the modern nurse in the course of her hospital duties received some consideration at yesterday's meeting of the North Canterbury Board. The Hospital Committee reported that owing to comment on the amount of sickness occurring on the Board's nursing staff, enquiries had ibeen made of the other main hospital districts, and a reply from the Otago Hospital Board was received as follows:—'"The Medical Superintendent states that a perusal of the Dunedin and Christchurch lists would show that there is little difference between the two institutions. It must be remembered that owing to the nature of their-work, nurses are necessarily taken off duty for even slight ailments which would not ordinarily be the practice in other occupations."' Mr J. K. Archer said that in some cases nurses suffered from ailments due to their work, which affected them for the rest of their lives. Something should be done to relieve them of some of the drudgery. The Board should protect them as much as it could. There was a widespread impression that nurses generally were subjected to unnecessary strain. He moved that the matter receive further consideration from the committee. Mr Clyde Carr, who second el the motion, said that what Mr Archer had said was perfectly true. TTie nursing profession was a notoriously overworked profession. The modern nurse who was conscientious was in grave danger of undermining her health. He hoped the matter would receive urgent and earnest consideration. Mr Horrell: Why not let the Association worry over it? Tins matter affects all hospitals. "Fools and Angels." Mrs McCombs said that every member of the committee was ful'.v alive to the conditions under which the nurses worked. But she resented the suggestion that the matter was not being attended to. The eonwniltee was already giving the matter consideration. "'With apologies to the Mayor, I think it is.a case of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread." (Laughter.) Mr Archer, with a smile: "I intend to do my duty whether as a fool or an angel." A member: ''You might do both!'' The motion was carried with a chorus of assent.