TRAINING OF NURSES

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 260, 29 July 1932, Page 10

TRAINING OF NURSES

Registration Board Criticism INTERFERENCE RESENTED “The less interference by these people the better,” said Mrs. A McVlcar at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday, when a letter was recelved from the Nurses and Midwives’ Registration Board regarding the training of pupil nurses. The letter stated that at a recent meeting of the Nurses and Midwives’ Registration Board a report was received from the registrar on her inspection of the Wellington Hospital as a training school for pupil nurses- The Registration Board was of opinion that it was desirable that a few lectures should be given to the pupil nurses it, the institution by members of the honorary staff, particularly the specialists, and that the position of tutor sister should be filled as soon as possible, as it was considered the matron of such a large institution had not time in which to give the necessary supervision or attention to the lectures and general training of pupil nurses. A circular letter was also received from the Registration Board stating that it had been decided to make certain amendments in the present training programme of nurses. A list of the subjects and authorities which would require to be studied was given. In order to ensure that junior nurses had a definite knowledge of bacteriology and the possibility of conveyance of Infection, the board required special lectures on that subject Mrs.- McVicar said that the less departmental interference the more efficient the nursing service in the hospital would be.

Mr. F. Castle, chairman, said he thought the Registration Board should have consulted the various boards .before making its recommendations. Dr. R. Campbell Begg said that the prime essential for an efficient training school was that there should be a group of very senior, women sitting as a council in order to carry out a policy. In this group the matron of the hospital should be prlmas pares. By this means the responsibility of practical training and policy would be distributed, and the most essential part of training, namely, that of direct contact with the patient, would be brought to the most efficient state possible. Having secured that essential, it was certainly desirable that the nurses should receive tuition in the more theoretical and preparatory part of the work. He thought that this should be the policy aimed at by the Hospital Board. The letters were “received.”