Hospital Nurses.

Evening Star, Issue 8529, 30 May 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

Hospital Nurses.

Within recent years there has been a great change in the status accorded to hosfiital nurses, and consequently a wonderful mprovement in the servioe she renders the sick. But the better education of nurses, whioh is one of the happiest reforms of modern times, has been conducted without due regard to system. There is, in short, no generally-aooepted standard of fitness. Almost every hospital in these colonies has a separate scheme of training and examination, and consequently there is no sufficiently strong guarantee that the nurses are so well qualified as is desirable. The suggestion that all the institutions should agree upon prescribed methods is, under the ciroumstanoes, an admirable one, sinoe, if adopted, it Bhould have the effect of bringing the nursing staff of each up to the highest point of efficiency. Ihe matter is one for the consideration of dootors, who depend so closely npon nurses, and it would be wise if it received the attention of the Medioal Society of Victoria and the looal branch of the British Medioal Association. They may rely upon the governing bodies of the institutions giving full consideration to any suggestions they may make. A uniform training, followed by uniform examination and the i-suing of a diploma whioh would be recognised in every hospital, must be beneficial, if for no other reason than that the rurses would be able to pass from one institution to another without requiring to learn the methods of each. Facilities of that character should lead to the elevation of nursing as a vocation, and that is an object with whioh all must sympathise.— 'Argus.'