Bored Children Eat Woodwork

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31649, 8 April 1968, Page 18

Bored Children Eat Woodwork

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, April 6.

Some children in the Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital in Auckland become so bored because there are no nurses to look after them that they stand beside a window and gnaw the windowsill, according to one of the sisters.

Nurses >t the hospital have threatened to work to rule from April 25 unless the-De-partment of Health provides enough staff to handle the hospital's domestic chores. The sister was one of 15 members of the nursing staff who issued the Health Department with the ultimatum after a meeting on Wednesday. Indicating a windowsill scarred by teeth marks, she said these were caused by children who were not given enough supervision because the nurses were too busy scrubbing floors, shovelling coal and stoking boilers. “It would not happen if the children weren't bored,”

she said. "We just can't give them proper attention.” If the nurses decide to implement their work-to-rule decision it will mean that all ‘he female patients’ blocks in t .e hospital, housing about 380 patients, will be affected. It is unlikely that the male nurses staffing the male patients’ accommodation will be affected by the controversy. If no response is forthcoming from the Health Department, a meeting will be held to define exactly how the work-to-rule will be carried out, but the nurses’ spokesman says they intend to make sure the patients do not suffer any hardship.