Canadian Doctor In N.Z. To Study Nursing

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 2

Canadian Doctor In N.Z. To Study Nursing

Forty-five per cent of New Zealand nurses leave the service before they qualify. Only 29.1 Kr cent of the tutors ve the basic minimum recommended qualifications for teaching. Aspects of recruitment an< retention of nurses, including nursing education, are part oi a study of the service in Neu Zealand being undertaken bj Dr Helen Carpenter. Dr Carpenter has a three month assignment as a World Health Organisation consult ant to the New Zealand Government Yesterday she visited North Canterbury Hospital Board staff at Christchurch Hospital and Sunnyside Hospital. Today she will have talks with Professor N. C. Phillips, vice-chancellor of the University of Canterbury, and the head of the university education department (Professor E. J. Lawrence). “The present system has remained relatively unchanged while thr hospital has become a more complex institution,” Dr Carpenter said In Christchurch on Sunday evening. “This makes it more difficult to have students contributing

to the staff of a hospital before they have the qualifications for that service. “But while studying what is desirable in education, we must keep in mind the needs of the service.” Dr Carpenter, a Canadian, is well qualified for her assignment, both by personal achievement and the advances of the profession in her country. The director of the University of Toronto’s School cf Nursing, Dr Carpenter has a B.Sc. in nursing from the school, a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, and gained her doctorate from Columbia University. She is one of about 12 Canadian women with a doctorate in nursing. Higher education for nurses has been accepted in Canada lor many years. Initial interest was generated by the Canadian Red Cross after World War IJ. The society sponsored the country’s first diploma courses for nurses, from which came the university education now offered by 20 Canadian universities. Toronto Course The Toronto school has offered a four-year B.Sc. in sursing since 1942—it recently celebrated 50 years of nurs-. Ing education—and will enrol Its first students for a master’s legree in September. The masterate is designed for nurses entering clinical specialities, and will prepare students for teaching and administration posts.

“We must have our teachers prepared in advance of the students," said Dr Carpenter. Five Canadian universities are now offering a master’s degree in nursing. Development in clinical specialities was very rapid. Graduates would be able to assist in the development of knowledge of nursing care in medical-surgical areas, particularly cardial vascular illnesses, in psychiatric nursing eare and community health. Advantages Dr Carpenter considers a university degree for nursing has a two-fold advantage. “Many young people interested in nursing have the intellectual ability to earn a degree. Many women want to go on to university now, and they like courses that lead to an occupation. “We believe that from the graduates comes a core of leaders who will be prepared In the profession to contribute to teaching, and in the clinical areas." A survey on graduates from 1946 to 1966 showed that 40 per cent had been in positions of responsibility. About half were still employed tn the service when the survey was taken. “Any studies in North America have shown that the married women who work are usually the best educated women. They do seem to contribute longest in the working world. Many of our graduates work after marriage, often as teachers,” said Dr Carpenter. Under a new plan being Introduced at the diploma level in Ontario, all tutors will be required to have a B.Sc. in nursing. Many students were working with this aim In mind. The Canadian diploma course is taken at schoola of nursing attached to hospitals. However, the students are not considered hospital employees, nor are they members of the staff. Moves to have the schools placed In the general eduea-

tion setting, under the jurisdiction of the provincial de- i partments of education, are now under way. ( “This has already been done in two provinces, and ( has been recommended for Ontario," she said. “Demon- < strations of a diploma school ’ within our community col- < leges—similar to your technical institutees are under way now. These are two-year courses, and diploma courses in hospital-based schools that used to take three years will become two-year courses.” Hospital boards were beginning to recognise that run- ' nlng a school of nursing was | faiyly expensive, and that it *- was more appropriate for nursing education funds to come out of the general education tax dollar, she said. “Hidden Coet” They were also realising that education was a “hidden cost” in health care, because the Government budget had to cover student training programmes. Hospitals have gradually built up their qualified nursing staff, depending less on the student for service. Much routine work is also done by nursing assistants, comparable to New Zealand's community nurse. Staff changes were also being made to ensure the nurse was not misusing her time on non-nursing duties, said Dr Carpenter. University and diploma student nurses undertake practical work in the wards under the supervision of their tutors. “The time the student nurse spends in the clinical setting has been reduced without modifying her ability or competence." When the hospital relied on the student for service the time spent in practical work was determined by the needs of the hospital, not the student she said. Dr Carpenter will present her report to the W.H.O. and it is hoped it will be widely circulated in New Zealand.