NURSING PAY & CONDITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 133, 2 December 1944, Page 6

NURSING PAY & CONDITIONS

Sir, —I am most certainly not writing to congratulate "Student Nurses' Mothers" on the letters regarding pay and conditions for nurses, and I would like to state the viewpoint of a student nurse, living away from her home town. It is purely a voluntary action I to become a nurse, and the monetary remuneration is known on application. So it is hard to understand how, after enrolling, girls regret leaving occupations with so-called higher rates of pay. After all, it is a worthy cause to be serving humanity, and it should be an unselfish gesture, and not taken up with any thought of \yorldly gains. I am quite satisfied- with the rate of pay. I find that the £5 Os 8d per month for the first year is sufficient for my requirements. Living at the Nurses' Home entails no extra expense. We are provided with three wholesome meals and morning and afternoon tea and supper each day. The living quarters are far superior to the accommodation found in most boarding-houses and equal, in my opinion, to 35s a week, which makes the nurse's pay approximately £12 a month. As regards our duty shoes, it would be impossible to buy everyday shoes for 15s a pair, and white stockings are extremely cheap. Certainly arrangements could be made for nurses on sick leave for a period of more than ten days living outside a 50-mile radius to be granted some travelling concessions. If young girls realised what an ideal life it really ,is I am sure there would be no calls for recruiting campaigns.—I am, etc., A STUDENT NURSE. Sir, —I refute Mr. Toogood's statement of November 24 that if Wellington Hospital nurses contracted infection as n result of their hospital duties they would receive full pay during their illness. My daughter is a second-year nurse at a net salary of £5 6s a month. She was 'nursing in Ewart Hospital, and undoubtedly as a result of' this duty, she contracted an infection, as so many nurses do. Now, notwithstanding Mr. Toogood's statement, her net salary has been reduced from £5 6s to £3 12s 4d per month, and as she has been sent home she has also lost her free board, which is valued for social security at £4 6s 8d a month. Her only compensation was 10s 6d a week while under 20 years of age and £1 a week while over 20 from social security funds. Last year, while a first-year student, she contracted scarlet fever and was off duty for three months (two in hospital and one at home). Here, again, in spite of Mr. Toogood's statement, she did not receive a board allowance while at home, and which the authorities are at great pains to tell nurses is part of their salary.—l am, etc. , A NURSE'S FATHER. "Trained Nurse" also disputes the chairman's statement. "When a nurse contract's pulmonary tuberculosis she receives her full pay for the time stated by the chairman as ordinary sick leave, then receives £1 per week and can draw social security. Many cases do not require hospitalisatio: i for more than a few weeks, but it is generally necessary for a patient to be off duty for many months.. Pulmonary tuberculosis is an expensive illness, and in many ways a bar to furthering a career. There is another illness, erythema nodosum (which is peculiar to nurses), where a nurse does not receive even part of her salary after the stated period." "Lucky Patient" praises the nurses for their services. '"I had a very rare and delicate operation performed on me and was unconscious for a for* night. All that time I had a sister j beside my bed during the day, and a nurse at night. One day I was so j low that the sister performed artificial j respuration on me to save my life. Sister was successful, and how much thanks does she get? It is beyond my power to ever repay the wonderful girls, and I must say that nursing should be the highest-paid profession! People say nurses are born; maybe j that is correct, but they would only' take on the glorious work because their { heart was set on it. Nurses all have | endless patience, and if a girl did not have patience she would not take on nursing, high wages or not. ... Perhaps higher pay would put up our j rates. With free medical service in the hospitals people would have the extra charge on rates repaid to them, perhaps in some cases many times oyer.J Leading bodies of citizens should join together end take a lead in completely! changing conditions for these very fine girls." I