WOMAN OF VISION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 122, 18 February 1944, Page 3

WOMAN OF VISION

Florence Nightingale Of

N.Z. Recalled Sometimes referred to as the ‘‘Florence Nightingale of New Zealand,” because of her vision and the wise measures she inspired in the furtherance of her profession and the protection of Nurses, Mrs. Grace Neill is probably not remembered today by many New Zealand women. Seh was the first woman to hbld a Government position under the Hospital and Charitable Aid administration and. in 1,895 became assistant inspector of hospitals.

Mrs. Neill had a wide view of nursing and an understanding of the struggles which nurses in many parts of the world were experiencing in their endeavour to gain recognized professional status. It was due to her representations made to the Government that the Nurses’ Registration Act was passed, the first such Act in any part of the world. This inaugurated in New Zealand the three year training, State examinations and Official register of general trained nurses. This was followed by the passing pt tlie Midwives’ Registration Act, resulting iu a planned training and examination for obstetric nurses, with an official register. The Private Hospitals Act followed this and decreed that all such institutions should be under the charge of a registered nurse or registered midwife aud also determined the, proportion of trained nurses to hospital beds. Thus were laid, by these three pieces of legislation, the foundation of a sound nursing system in the Dominion. ’ '