WANT TO BE A NURSE?

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 13

WANT TO BE A NURSE?

By

MRS M. CHAMBERS

LADY SUPERINTENDENT, CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL.

JJURSING offers a satisfying career to those who are suited to it It offers a good livelihood with wide opportunities for the girl who remains in the service for any length of time. Contrary to popular belief, a nurse’s salary, when considered together with allowances, board and lodging, uniforms and laundry services, can be compared favourably with salaries paid for other kinds of work. Nursing is work that calls for understanding and skill, and nurses must be able to take responsibility and must like working with people.

nursing and the nursing of children; it also includes nursing in specialist wards and the operating theatre as well as general medical and surgical nursing. Nurses live in well-appointed homes with other girls of their own age; they have uniforms and text books supplied as well as their board and lodging during their period of training. After the training period is over, registered nurses very often live away from their hospital. They then receive a living-out allowance in addition to their salaries. Girls who want to become nurses should have a good general education, they should be healthy and should have a desire to serve sick people. General nursing training is done at the Christchurch Hospital; this will be the source of nurses for the new Cashmere Hospital. Maternity training is done at Essex Hospital. There are two short courses for maternity nurses and nurse aids Both last 18 months and they reduce any later full course by six months.

There are registered nurses working in public and private hospitals in different departments. And all hospitals have a district nursing service attached to them. In every city and town of any size there are public health nurses who visit schools and visit people in their own homes.

Training takes three years and includes elementary obstetric

If you want to be a nurse, make an appointment to see the matron of -your nearest training school for nurses, or write a letter of application.

At the Christchurch Hospital, Canterbury’s A grade general nursing training school, the hours of duty average 44 a week. There is an allowance of 2s in every £ of salary to cover hours worked over 40 in the week. Pupil nurses get the following salaries. In addition, they get free board, free textbooks and uniforms. First year .... £4 18s 3d Second year .... £5 5s 9d Third year £5 10s 7d Fourth year .... £ 5 16s On qualifying, a staff nurse gets from £8 Ils to £9* 19s lOd a week. The salary for a sister in charge of a ward or department, in addition to board and uniforms, is from £9 Ils to £ll 14s sd. If she lives away from the hospital she will receive an allowance of £3 a week. There are other allowances for work in special and maternity hospitals.

To assist these people, the careers adviser must have a thorough knowledge of the various fields of employment, including wages, conditions, and prospects; she must have up-to-date information regarding university and other post-primary courses, bursaries and other special sources of assistance, and she must maintain contact with outside services—health officers, the Child Welfare Department, the Crippled Children Society, and Heritage. In certain difficult cases, assistance is requested from the Vocational Guidance Centre, with which close contact is maintained at all times.