POST-GRADUATE NURSES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 4

POST-GRADUATE NURSES

Diplomas Presented At Breaking-Up Ceremony

The liojh* that the course would be extended still further, when times liccanie more normal, to include advanced nursing technique in medicine and surgery was expressed by the Deputy-Dir-ector-Geiieral of Health, Dr. Shore, at the breaking-up ceremony of the postgraduate nurses’ course in Wellington yesterday morning. The -ft successful nurses, who came from all parts of New Zealand, and from a variety of nursing work, received their diplomas at the conclusion of the gathering from the Minister of Health, Air. Armstrong. The course was being brought more and more to the notice of nurses in tiie Dominion, said Dr. Shore. It. meant a period of intensive work for the six months and students selected one from three branches of the course —public hygiene nursing, hospital and training school administration, aud social welfare work, the last a new departure for this year. Three students followed this course, seven took public health nursing, and 11 hospital administration. Now that their studies were completed, he said, they would go into the sections of the work they had been learning to observe and do practical work for one month. The thanks of Die Health Department were due to all who had assisted witli Die course. Importance of Work. The work was of great importance in New Zealand, said Mr. Armstrong. The students had put up a very creditable performance in gaining their diplomas, and he understood that a full class for 1911 had already been enrolled. In reply to a remark by Dr. Shore, that he hoped Die use of the present building would be granted for a further term, Mr. Armstrong said he considered something new and more up-lo-date was urgently required. Activities everywhere throughout the Dominion were being hampered by lack of suitable accommodation, and specially was this so in health department work. The sum of £150,000 w-as being spent by the Government at present in doing “patchwork'’ jobs in an attempt 1o meet a situation which should have received attention years ago. Miss Stella Todd, Dunedin Hospital, on behalf of the group, expressed appreciation for the help received from the Department of Health and the Registered Nurses’ Association, and for the guidance of the nurse instructors, Miss E. R. Bridges and Miss F. Cameron, and the lecturers. She paid a tribute to the wise forethought and planning shown by the pioneers in this movement.

Positions uo'w held by former students included: Matrons of hospitals, 30; assistant matrons, 14; tutor sisters 27; ward sisters, 10; dietitians, 2; home sisters, 2; nurse inspectors, 13; district health nurses, 17; nurse instructors, 2; and on active service, 14. Those at the ceremony included Miss M. Lambie, director of nursing services; Miss E. R. Bridges, and Miss F. Cameron, nurse instructors; Miss B. Clark, matron of Wellington Hospital, Miss Janet Moore, a. previous nurse instructor, Donner, secretary of the Registered Nurses’ Association. Successful Students. Diplomas were presented as follows: Public health nursing, Misses E. M. Armstrong, Dorothy Batt, Phyllis Duddcridge, Irene Ferguson, Dorothy Goodall. Muriel Taylor, and Winifred Ward. Social work, Misses Jean A. King, Edith Smale, and Ethel Turner.

Hospital and nursing home administration, Nurses Catherine Buckingham, Nancy Cross, Gwen Dryden, Edith George, Gwendolyn Haswell, Margaret McMullan, Elizabeth Orbell, Kathleen Spragg, Elizabeth Stenberg, Lily Taylor, and Stella Todd.