Criticism of nurse splinter group

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32860, 8 March 1972, Page 19

Criticism of nurse splinter group

The formation in Auckland of a splinter group representing student nurses has been criticised in Christchurch as an ill-conceived step taken in ignorance of the proper avenues of communication open to all student nurses. The criticism has come from Miss J. Stewart, president of the New Zealand Stu-

dent Nurses’ Association, which has a membership of more than 2000.

On Monday Mr D. J. Wills the leader of the new group known as the Student Nurses’ Action Committee had stated that changes in nursing could be made only by groups working outside the system of hospital board, Department of Health control.

“This is ridiculous,” Miss! Stewart said. “After all, we are all aiming at the same thing—a complete revision of nursing training. There is nothing new in this aim, but now more than ever before all groups must work together to bring this about for the good of the patient and nursing.”

To imply that the Student Nurses’ Association was not’ independent was also a gross, misconception held by Mr Wills and his new group,! Miss Stewart said. “The autonomy of the as-1 sociation is recognised by the: Government in accepting representatives from the S.N.A, as spokesmen on various committees one of the most important of which is that dealing with the Carpenter Report.”

Change would come about only by the closest liaison between all groups concerned with nursing, Miss Stewart said.

“For one group to hive off like this is perhaps a sad reflection on its lack of knowledge of the proper steps to take to get things done,” she said.