‘NO ADVERSE EFFECT’

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31678, 14 May 1968, Page 1

‘NO ADVERSE EFFECT’

The ban on non-nursing duties by the staff of Templeton Hospital is having no adverse effect on patients, according to the hospital’s secretary (Mr R. E. Boyle).

“The situation has settled down well; there are no complaints from the Public Service Association and we have no complaints,” he said.

\The hospital last week had received authority to increase its staff establishment by one labourer and one domestic, he said. The 22 boilers at the hospital were being stoked by a labourer who worked from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and this seemed to be working satisfactorily. Mr Boyle said there had been no more discussions between the staff and the ad ministration, and there was no indication as to when the ban would be lifted. Recruitment Problems

Endeavours to force psychopaedic nurses to do domestic duties at Templeton and other mental hospitals, deterred recruiting, said the secretaryorganiser of the Canterbury branch of the Public Service Association (Mr J. M. McKenzie).

The World Health Organisation had produced figures to show the high turnover in mental hospital staff. Considerable knowledge and training were necessary for psychopaedic nursing. Any proposal for parents or untrained persons to do any duties at Templeton would be discussed by the administration and the nurses to ensure that psychopaedic nursing was done to the full. Mr McKenzie said that nurses at Templeton were this week washing and polishing

floors in areas where dangerous drugs were stored. This was not to be mistaken for a weakening of the resolve of the nurses in their ban on non-nursing duties. Rather, it showed the admirable sense, of responsibility of the nurses in that they made an exception.

Possible Extension

Many aspects of the dispute were under constant review, he said. One was hair-cutting by nurses, which might be incorporated in an extension of the ban.

“Our nurses have spent

their apprenticeship in training to be nurses and not as apprentices with hairdressers to become barbers,” said Mr McKenzie.

Another possible extension of the ban was to the preparation and serving of meals by nurses.

“No hasty decision is being made on either the haircutting or the meals issue,” said Mr McKenzie.

“These subjects will be discussed among myself, the mental health sub-group of the P.S.A. at Templeton, the executive of the association and the hospital administration.”