LIBERTY OF NURSES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21260, 24 November 1943, Page 4

LIBERTY OF NURSES

WANGANUI RESTRICTION TRAVEL ON DAYS OFF The liberty of nurses on the staff of the Wanganui Hospital, who are prohibited from travelling more than 20 miles on their days off without the permission of the matron. Miss M. J. Hunter, was discussed at a meeting of the board, when the Hon. W. J. Rogers, M.L.C., moved that the restriction be lifted. There .may have -been justification for the original resolution carried in September, 1942, but its necessity had been altered by changed wartime circumstances, said Mr. Rogers. He believed the nurses should have the freedom of doing what they wished when off duty. The matron, asked for her opinion, said that only that morning five nurses had reported sick, with the result that she was compelled to recall five others who had a day off. If these nurses had been far away it would have been impossible to get them back. The hospital was af present working on a limited stall'. The medical superintendent. Dr. H. L. Widdowson. said the restriction was imposed because on one occasion a nurse went to Wellington on her day off and could not return in time to take up 'her duties. Transport facilities, the real cause of the problem, had not improved during the last 12 months. Other cases had since occurred of nurses being unable to return to duty because the public transport systems were fully taxed. Mr. Rogers’ motion was lost.