THE PROPOSED HOME FOR NURSES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 93, 17 October 1906, Page 10

THE PROPOSED HOME FOR NURSES.

TO TUB EDITOK. Sir, —l see that a ball is to be held afc the Town Hall for the purpose of raising funds to build a home for private nurses. Sir, I am only voicing the opinion of several leading Wellington nurses when 1 say that they are absolutely antagonistic to the idea of being provided for by charity. They state that a home is an unnecessary institution, and if required they earn enough in their salaries to provide for themselves without being charitably provided for. They also consider, Sir, that tnis is the thin edge of th« wedge to bTing the system at present in England in vogue here. The private nurses' homes in London are .carried on Something after the discipline of tho hospitals. They receive about £30 to £40 per annum, and aro at the beck and call of the matron to proceed, to cases whether they wish it or not. The' fees charged averaged from £2 2s to £6 6s weekly, and 1 are collected by the home authorities, and all the profits, which are considerable, are collected by the hospital boards, and the nurse receives her meagre salary, which as you wall see is> less than half her earnings. Now, Sir, you may ask —lf tho nurses don't like tho home, why should they live there? They state that if they didn't fall in with the. idea there would be an unfair distribution of work, axid tbey would' probably have to leave tho city and seek elsewhere. A nurse will pay 5s to 9s weekly for a room, and pay for meals when not afc a case, so you'll see that it will benefit the home to have them always out, and therefore nurses not resident there will have, to take- a "back seat. In tho formation of the Nurses' Association they say that they have hadl no voice in the selection of officers or anything else, and don't even know what the real aim of the association, is, and where the subscriptions go, or what is done with the samo, or even going to be done. Now, Sir, as you ore aware, the,' nurses are a self-reliant body, and do not want charity thrust upon them. They neither desire or seek it, and are quito satisfied with their present arrangements. They aTe connected) with the telephone, and there is no trouble in getting a nurse whether at her own home or the bureau, and if they are satisfied, why not leave well alone? What good are they to receive from such an institution, and who is to have charge of the same? They aTe perfectly aware no one will interest themselves to take charge and look after the same for nothing, and they require to know who is to reap the profits of this charitably furnished boarddnghouse. As they say, "Let good 1 enough alone," nnd there will be no friction or ill-content. We don't want charity, and can look to ourselves —l am, etc., NURSES' FRIEND. 15th October.