Grave shortage of nurses

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33654, 2 October 1974, Page 6

Grave shortage of nurses

(From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, September 29. Describing it as “a matter of grave concern,” the supervising Matron (Miss S. M. Watts) told the West Coast Hospital Board at its meeting recently that there was an acute shortage of qualified staff at both Westland and Grey Hospitals.

The sister in charge of the operating theatre at Westland Hospital would finish at the end of the month and her position had been advertised for two months without any interest being shown, said Miss Watts. There were no full-time staff at the hospital experienced in theatre nursing, and it was unlikely that the position would attract an experienced theatre sister, because there was routine operating on only two days a week. Miss Watts said she was unable to help out with Grey Hospital theatre staff, either, a senior sister there had recently resigned and the hospital was using staff who were very new to theatre work. The sister in charge of the obstetric department at Westland Hospital would leave in November, and the hospital was likely to have difficulty filling this post. The shortage of midwives at the Mcßrearty Annexe of the Grey Hospital had again become acute. Relief staff had been of assistance, but they had since moved on and the ward staff now was two midwives employed fulltime, and one midwife employed 16 hours a week. “There are still vacancies for two midwives at ward sister level in that department but again the difficulties in attracting suitable staff in this speciality are considerable,” said Miss Watts. “The shortage of skilled staff adds a consid-

erable burden to .the sister in charge of Mcßrearty, and this causes me concern as this is a busy time of the year for obstetrics.”