Nurses’ silence explained

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33513, 19 April 1974, Page 10

Nurses’ silence explained

' The silence maintained by the New Zealand Nurses’ Association over the dispute for higher wages by dental nurses was explained by the association’s national secretary (Miss T. Burton) at the annual conference of the association yesterday.

She said that it was not (good policy for one employee organisation within the Combined State Services Organi-! sation to hinder another: organisation in its efforts to; get an increase in salary. The N.Z.N.A. believed that

.within the next, iwo years the I Government would decide twho would negotiate for all I sectors of the nursing profession. At present, the Public Service Association negotiated for dental, psychiatric and psychopadic nurses ■while the N.Z.N.A. negotiated

for medical health nurses. On the subject of training. Miss Mary Richmond, a Dr D. P Kennedy Fellow from Canada, outlined a plan for! the development of the nursing service which had been successful in British Columbia. She said that the way nurses were used had to be examined and added that certain chores, such as housekeeping, should not be part lof a nurse’s duties. Until that, happened it was difficult to J make nursing an attractive profession. Miss Richmond emphasised; the importance of the role of; professional associations, say-\ ing that the Government( needed the expertise repre-; .sented within such organisa-; tions.