MATERNITY NURSES' TRAINING

Evening Star, Issue 15020, 31 October 1912, Page 2

MATERNITY NURSES' TRAINING

COMPULSORY BACKBLOCKS COURSE. [Feom Ovn PAraiAMF.NTAiu: RErorxTEE.] WELLINGTON, October 31. "Xursos trained in the St. Helens Hospitals should,, as part of their course, on the completion of their hospital work, spend a. further period of six months' nursing in the backblocks," stated M; Statham, in the course of a question on this subject to the. Minister of Public Health. The tatter's reply showed that the suggestion cannot be officially adopted. "The question of encouraging midwives to practise in the bickblocks has." lie said, 'been the subject of considerable consideration-on the part of the department, and hospital boards have been advised that free training will bo given in our St. Helens Hospitals to those women specially recommended by the boards as likely to make suitable midwives, provided they engage, on completion of their training, to nerve for a stated period in the more remote, country district*. It is considered that this policy is a iielter one than to insist on a six months' extension of the. period of training for midwives, which is now for registered nurses eix months and for unregistered nurses 12 months. If an additional six months' course wero insisted upon, it might have the etfert of deterring many excellent women, trained or untrained, from undertaking the work, and thus might result in a shortage of midwives for the Dominion.''