SHORTAGE OF NURSES

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22201, 18 September 1937, Page 7

SHORTAGE OF NURSES

"Situation Serious In City" MANY LEAVING THE DOMINION That the shortage of trained nurses which has been noticed in Auckland and other parts of the North Island has made itself felt in Christchurch became apparent yesterday, when inquiries were made in the city. A report recently placed before the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board said:— "There is a shortage of 12 staff nurses at the Napier Public Hospital, and four staff nurses at the Hastings Memorial Hospital." It recommended that the Nurses' and Midwives' Regis- I tration Board be notified that i$ was the intention of the board to advertise in Australia for staff nurses and requesting information as to whether the registration of successful applicants would be facilitated by the registration board. * Meanwhile, at the Waihi Hospital, two sisters and three staff nurses had resigned during August. The secretary of the Waihi Hospital Board, Mr W. C. Collier, said that there had been no response to the board's advertisement for nurses, and the board would have to arrange for a temporary staff, which would cost £4 4s a week for each nurse. Even at this salary, the greatest difficulty was being experienced, because of the acute shortage of qualified nurses throughout the Dominion, he said. When this information was referred to Miss G. Widdowson, lady superintendent at the Christchurch Pubic Hospital, she said that she had not noticed any shortage, and had not heard of one elsewhere. The mother-in-charge of St. George's Private Hospital (Mother Alice) said, however, that the shortage was in fact so acute that there was great p.nxiety. Altogether. 180 trained nurses had left New Zealand for the Coronation, many had gone to Australia, and there had generally been an exodus for the last 12 months. Letters from nurses who had gone Home indicated that there was a great demand for New Zealand girls, and many were in very good positions. Mother Alice said that so far St. George's Hospital had not been compelled to advertise In Australia, but there was no doubt about the anxiety being felt. The Trained Nurses' Home in Bealey avenue had closed, and doctors were having trouble in finding nurses. I Miss E. Young, matron of the Trained Nurses' Club, bore out Mother Alice's statement. She had had a very difficult winter trying to cope with the demand. It was impossible to supply the requirements in the winter, and she hoped that the situation would ease before next winter. Her theory in explanation was that for the girl leaving school an office offered far greater attractions than nursing, with less responsibility. A nurse had varying hours, and the responsibility of the lives of patients. The inducement to be found in salary was not better than that offered in an office. Further, there had been a steady flow of nurses from the Dominion, for there was great inducement abroad, where New Zealand girls were much appreciated. Nurses used to come from Australia; but this had stopped during the depression, and not started again. An exchange of nurses might be made, but this could not help to alleviate the present pcute shortage, which, Miss Young ■raid, would have been far worse but for some visting nurses from Dunedin and other parts. Miss M. Corkill. of the Nurse Maude District Nursing Association, attributed the situation in the past to the Coronation, which had drawn many nurses away, but in chief to what she described as "one of the worst winters we have ever had. Any hospital will tell you it has never been so busy." The winter had been bad, not because of infantile paralysis, but because of the amount of ordinary sickness. Although conditions here were much improved. New Zealand girls were oooular almost the world over, and there was a large number somg pbroad for experience. She thought it possible that, although those who had gone to England for the Coronation were now returning, the position may remain serious because of the unstpmmeu flow abroad. Mr H. J. Otley, chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, said that if there was any shortage, he would say it was because the imposition of shorter hours caused a sudden increased demand, and because hospitals had been very full-