DISTRICT NURSING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 70, 16 December 1937, Page 21

DISTRICT NURSING

Possibility Of Increased Scope

POSITION AT EKETAHUNA Dominion Special Service. Masterton, December 15. The necessity of obtaining more information from the Masterton district nurse was stressed at the meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board to-day when it was decided to request the nurse to advise the board of cases she was attending which otherwise would be hospital cases. The chairman, Mr. 11. H. Mawley, said it was necessary for the board to know a little more of what was going on, or the members would not be able to form an opinion. It would involve very little extra work for the nurse, he said. The question of district nursing had to be considered in a broader way than at present, said Mr. J. C. Ewjngton. He expressed the opinion that it would be necessary in the future to. extend operations over the whole district. Dr. G. S. Sharp said that probably there would have to be an increase of district nursing, but whether that was possible in the country districts was another matter. The country work would involve a great deal of travelling and he doubted if the scheme would be so successful in sparsely populated districte. The question of fees was something the board had to take notice of, said Dr. Sharp. He pointed out that a very small amount of fees had been collected. “I have noticed that, but I think there is a good reason for it,” said the chairman. Many of the district nurses patienta were old age and invalidity pensioners, and they could not expect to collect feed from them. Position in Eketahuna. Reporting on the district nursing question in Eketahuna, Miss C. McKenny said difficulty was experienced in keeping a nurse there because there was not enough work to do. Every good nurse became tired of inactivity. Miss McKenny mentioned the possibilities of having one nurse to deal with district nursing, Plunket nursing and school work, and pointed out that although the Health Department was prepared to co-operate, the Plunket Society had flatly refused. In fact, headquarters had been pained to hear such a proposal. Miss McKenny mentioned the desirability of providing the nurse with a motor-car so that she could handle more work. In Eketahuna there was a fund of £3OO lying idle and she believed the money could be utilised for the purchase of a car. , Dr. Sharp said that if the district nurse did the school work as well the extra duties would be very little. It would be a different story, however, if they could get the Plunket work. Committee’s Responsibility. The chairman said the next step should be with the Eketahuna District Nursing Committee. The committee dealt with the question and should continue to deal with it and find out what it could get from the Education Department, investigate the question of the motor-car, and approach the Plunket Society again. Miss McKenny pointed out that even without the Plunket Society work the nurse's duties would be extended if she had a car to enable her to cover the counter district. Mrs. A. Fletcher said a district nurse’s work was far more valuable in the scattered country districts where there were no neighbours to help than in the towns. If a cm- were provided the nurse could keep many eases out of hospital and thus pay for herself and for the car. It was decided that the chairman, Mr. F. W. Parry, Mr. C. T. Richardson and Mies C. McKenny should meet the district nursing committee and discuss the whole question.