WORK AT MENTAL HOSPITALS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24711, 31 October 1945, Page 2

WORK AT MENTAL HOSPITALS

CONDITIONS PRAISED BY NURSES SHORTAGE OF STAFF During the last three months, 17 girls have been directed to work with the Mental Hospitals Department either at Sunnyside or at the Templeton School. Of this number only 11 are reported to have commenced work. The same difficulty in supplying staff at the mental hospitals has been experienced almost throughout the war years. The need for assistance is still urgent and according to a statement by the deputy district manpower officer (Mr H. L. Read) it is the intention of the manpower officer to make every endeavour to build up the staff to its requirements, and the positions of girls in the 21 to 22 years age group are still being reviewed. At present, Sunnyside has 23 nurses, six cooks, and one; laundress too few. • Templeton, which before the. war had a long waiting list of those wishing to ■ take up employ- i ment, is now snort of 14 nurses, four cooks, and one laundress, according to figures supplied by the District Man-J power Office. Because of the shortage of domestic staff at Sunnyside vacancies in the kitchen have to be filled by members of the nursing staff. In an endeavour to find out why many girls have been unwilling to accept direction to mental hospital work, a reporter of "The Press," during, the last few days,, visited . Sunnyside Templeton, and Hornby, and saw the living and working conditions of .the staff. When questioned, the. nurses; praised their living conditions, and suggested that if girls directed to the work would try it out before appealing they would find little cause for complaint. The unwillingness of girls to accept employment was put down by many of the nurses to ignorance of the living conditions, although it was also suggested that the shorter, hours . and higher wages offered by many factories might attract potential employees away from.the work. Overtime Position of the serious staff shortage, all nurses at Sunnyside and Hornby have to forgo at least four off-duty days each month. For work on these days, nurses are paid time and a half, and double time is paid for work on Sundays. There is no possibility of the overtime position improving until more staff is obtained. At Templeton it is not necessary regularly to work as much overtime, owing to' the assistance with work given by inmates of the home.

"The staff position is made more difficult bv directed girls leaving without notice and also without giving any reasons for doing so. If they would let us know why they have left, or what conditions they think are in need of improvement we would have something to work on,'.' said one official at Sunnyside. , Girls may live in or out as desired, and all those who live on the premises have single rooms. Because of the distance from town, all nurses have chosen to live on the premises at Templeton. The nurses' sitting rooms in each of the homes, especially at Hornby and Templeton. are bright, airy, and attractively furnished. Each has an, open fireplace, and is supplied with a piano and radio. *

Normally, days of duty are as follows:—first day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with i hour break for breakfast, j hour for dinner, and \ hour for tea; second day, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with \ hour break for breakfast, and \ hour for dinner. Every. third day is normally an off-duty day. One month's'leave is granted in every six. Domestic staff work from 8 a.m. to 5 p:m.,' five days a week, and have a fortnight's annual leave. Not Considered Arduous The, work was not considered arduous by nurses who were questioned on this point. Their only serious complaint was the length of the hours, which they realised could not be'•improved undei the existing staff conditions. A nurse wfthout" previous experience commences work at a salary of £l6O per annum, plus £lB cost of living allowance, and if the employee is over 21 years of age, she is also paid £ls . adult allowance. From this amount.is: deducted £25 for board, lodging, and uniform if the employee chooses to live on- the premises. For those who do. not live at the hospital, the .salary scale for the first year of •service is £l6O, plus £29, cost of living allowance, plus £ls if over 21 years. The sum of £l2 10s is. deducted for meals and uniform. After the junior examination held at the end of the first year, the basic salary is increased to £l7O and at the end of the second year to £IBO. The basic salary is further increased to £2OO after the passing of the senior examination at the end of about three years' service. A nurse is then eligible to sit for the State psychiatric examination and may then be appointed a staff nurse with a commencing salary of £2lO. The commencing salary for a sister is £230, rising in the second year of service to £250.