DISMISSAL OR RESIGNATION?

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4158, 8 February 1916, Page 5

DISMISSAL OR RESIGNATION?

A GISBORNE HOSPITAL INCIDENT.

INSPECTOR-GENERAL ASKS FUR PARTICULARS.

BOARD HOLD HEATED MEET XU

A heated discussion arose at a special meeting of the Gisborne Hospital Board last night, in connection with the departure from the hospital staff of Nurse Higgins. Tie meeting was called to consider matters referring to this, and there were present: Mr. Howard Kenway (chairman), Dr. Collins, Messrs. T. Jex-Blake, G. W. Humphreys, W. J. McCliskie, T. Holden, H. Bright, R. Johnston, J. Jones and W. G. Sherratt

When the meeting opened the Chairman explained that the resignation had been received of one of- the nurses. On January 29 the InspectorGeneral of Hospitals (Dr. Valintine) had wired in reference to this:—

“Enforced resignation of Nurse Higgins has been brought officially under my notice. Please report full circumstances and take no fur-

ther action in the meantime.”

Mr. Kenway said that lie was away at the time, and before he could reply the following wire came from Dr. Valintine:—

“Have you received ray telegram of Saturday regarding Nurse Higgins. Anxious to know, as I have received a telegram from her soli-

citors.”. “When I got hack,” went on the Chairman, “I went up and saw' the matron, and asked her, in order to carry out Dr. Valintine’s instructions, to prepare a full report in connection with the resignation of Nurse' Higgins. She did so, and that has been forwarded. It was forwarded on Thursday with a formal letter from me to Drl Valintine.

Dr. Collins: May I ask who sent that report to Wellington. The Chairman: On my instructions. It was asked for by Dr. Valintindi I forwarded the report. Dr. Collins: Now, sir, does it not strike you as Chairman of the Board

Mr. Johnston: I rise to a point of order. Has the matter been thrown open for discussion? The Chairman: I have allowed Dr. Collins to state his case. Dr. Collins: I am not stating any case. I am asking for information. I was not present at last meeting, and I ask that I might hear the minutes of the previous meeting. The next thing he asked was: Did the Chairman think it fair to the members of the Board, when a Departmental inquiry was banging over their heads, to forward any report to Wellington till the Board had an opportunity of studying it? The Chairman: In my opinion I was absolutely justified in taking the steps I did. Nothing will persuade me that I did not do absolutely right in carrying out the instructions of Dr. Valintine.

Dr. Collins: You thought you were right in sending a report which this Board will he, individually and collectively, responsible for- a report which they have never seen. I think you were entirely wrong, and abrogated to yourself such power as was never intended by the Board you should have.

The Chairman: I am quite prepared to let that rest on the ‘ judgment of the Board. Dr. Collins: It is not a matter for the judgment of the Board. It is a matter of your opinion and mine. Dr. Collins again requested that the minutes of the previous meeting should be read, but Mr. Kenwav declined to allow this to be done- He said that Dr. Collins was absent from the last meeting of the Board on his own business, and he did not think it right to waste the time of the members reading the minutes on that occasion. Of course the minutes of the last monthly meeting would he read at the next ordinary meeting. Dr. Collins asked what had happened at last meeting that had brought the matter up? The Chairman: The matron gave a report which was adopted. Dr. Collins: Why was Nurse Higgins’ resignation accepted and not others ? The Board desired to hear the matron’s report read, and this was done as follows:

THE MATRON’S REPORT. “On Monday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. Nurse Mitchell (who had been in charge of Ward 11. for the afternoon while Sister McLellan was off duty) came to report to me that Nurse Higgins liad been insubordinate and very impertinent to her before- the patients.

“I thought over the matter, and at 10 p.m. sent for Nurse Higgins, and told her that she had been reported. She said that she knew that sue had been in the wrong, and cried and implored mo not to punish her. She would promise not to behave so badly again. I told Nurse that I was prepared to overlook, a fault once, but once only. The next time I would act, and if she was reported a second time by a Senior Nurse for insubordination, she would he dismissed. Also said that I had been instructed by the Board to dismiss any of the nurses _ who were disobedient, and though it was tho last thing on earth I wished to do, I was prepared to carry out the instructions of the Board if necessary. _ “On Tuesday, Jan. 18, when I visited Ward 11. about ll'a.m., I asked Sister McLellan if Nurse Higgins was behaving any better. She replied that Nurse was making the ward almost unbeatable to work in. I went to my office, and. after thinking the matter over,' made out a change list, that would take Nurse Higgins out of Ward n., hoping in this way to avoid the trouble she seemed determined to make. “Nurse Higgins was to leave Ward 11. at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 19. “At 8.30 a.m. on'Wednesday, Sister McLellan went to the theatre with a case and left Nurse Mitchell in charge of Ward 11. At 8.45 Nurse Mitchell came to me saying that she was very sorry to have to complain, but that she could not be responsible for the work of the ward if Nurse Higgins would not do as she was told and was so impertinent. I said, ‘Go back to the ward and go on with yonr work. Nurse.’ I thought ovei tho matter, and it seemed to me impossible to avoid making an example of Nurse. Reported the matter to the Medical Superintendent. “I sent for Nurse Higgins, and told her that she had been reported a second time. She cried, and implored me not to punish her, and she would promise not to give anv more trouble. I sent for Nurse Mitchell, and made them both state their case and correct each other. I sent Nurse Mitchell away, and told Nurse Higgins that on what they both said to bo trne I considered she was in the wrong. She said she knew she was. I then asked her if she remembered what I had told her on Monday. She said she did. I said to her, TTou know that I told you that I would., dismiss you, Nurse, but I am going to allow you to give me your resignation instead, and if you do not talk about it, I will promise not to say what the trouble was and help you, if possible, to get' into another hospital to finish your training, provided, of course, that you promise to behave differently.’ “At the time I thought Nurse Higgins deserved to be dismissed and I still think so, hut dealt leniently with her because the discipline in this hospital had been so lax. -Nurse wrote out her resignation, and I told her to go to her room until I decided what I was e going 'to do in the'-matter. I"

asked her if she would like to seo the Chairman of the Board and state her side of the case to him. She said ‘No!’ and asked to be allowed to leave the hospital at once. Told her that I wished her to remain under my care until I could hand her over to Sister May (her aunt). / rang up for Mr. Kenway, the Chairman of the Board. He came up to the hospital. The whole matter was put before him. I asked for bis advice, also asked if he would like to see Nurse Higgins and hear what she had to say. Mr. Kenway instructed me to accept Nurse Higgins’ resignation and allow her to go. “Sent for Nurse Higgins, who then said that she had disobeyed Nurse Mitchell because she had had an order from Sister McLellan. Sent for Sister who told Nurse that what she was saying was not correct. Told Nurse that I would accept her resignation. She asked to be allowed to go. I again told her that I would rather she waited in the hospital until her aunt came home; went to? office and got the money owing to Nurse to date, gave it to her, and she left my office.

“Reported the matter to the Board on 21st January in the following words:—

“ ‘Nurse Higgins, entered 26th April. 1914, gave in her resignation on 19th January, 1916. and asked to be allowed to leave hospital at once; reported to. the Chairman of the Board, who considered the matter, and instructed me to accept the resignation.’

(Signed) E. M. TAIT, Lady Superintendent.” WHAT WAS THE INSUBORDINATION? Dr Collins asked what the insubordination was"? The Chairman: It is in the report. The matron says she refused to obey her superior in the ward. Dr Collins: On what occasion? We have simply that statement from the matron and no other statement. And may I ask who gave the matron power to dismiss nurses? The Chairman: It was on your suggestion. that at the present time at any rate the matron should be given a free hand in the employment and dismissal of nurses. l)r Collins: There is nothing on tiie minutes to that effect. It was agreed on my motion that the new matron should be head of her department and responsible for the organisation of the nursing staff. You have been chairman of this Hospital Board for a considerable time, and have had some experience on local bodies, and you certainly ought to have learnt by this that no corporate body can, by any motion whatever, give authority in abrogation of its own by-laws, more especially in hospitals, and thus" prevent any girl from placing her case before the body which the Legislature gives authority to treat with these cases. You asked this Board if you could see the matron on arrival. We could not be sure exactly what power you would place in the hands of the matron. You said at the time that you would like to go out and see the matron. I said I thought it would be a very wise thing to do, but in order to cover your action I moved a motion that she should be told by you that we should expect the organisation and discipline of the hospital to be better than before. I pointed out the necessity of differentiating between the three departments, more especially this department of the matron's. Further, I contend that anv motion moved at the time, even though you did misconstrue it- into the fact that- you had power to dismiss any nurse, that motion doesn’t become operative and is not a by-law until your old by-laws are revised and the new one is confirmed by those in authority. I maintain that- if the Board had left the motion for an explanation instead of rushing it through in my absence The Chairman: There was no intention to rush it through because you were absent. Dr Collins said had the Board done him the honor to wait till he came back the trouble would never have occurred.

The Chairman: That i s a matter of opinion. < Dr Collins : It is a remarkable thing that a girl should be enforced to resign. Mr Sherratt: Is there anything before the Board ? The Chairman: The report is gone. I think I /shall hold you to simply discussing the report. It has gqne. “HOLDING A PISTOL TO OUR HEADS.” Dr Collins: You are holding a pistol to our heads now. We never Bad a chance to adopt the report, Mr Sherratt: Who reported the matter in the first place to the Inspector-General ? The Chairman: I don’t know. Mr Johnston pointed out that the Board had endorsed the Chairman’s action in seeing the matron, at last meeting. If anything was wrong the Board was responsible. The Chairman: That is so. He did not know bow the circumstances got. to the Inspector-General’s ears. " Mr Bright: That doesn’t matter. It is obvious that they got there. The Chairman: I have to ask theBoard if they confirm my action in sending the report. Dr Collin s said that the report was not full, and he did not for one moment say that it was altogether accurate- The Board did not know the facts of the case, beyond what, the matron said. The Board had had no chance to discuss the matter. •* The Chairman: As to discussing the report, there is nothing in it to discuss. It is a statement of fact. Dr Collins : How do you know it? The Chairman: Well, I know that the matron is telling the truth, and any member of the Board knows it. Dr Collins: There are a number of people in the world who listen to the last, dog that barks, and you are one of them.

“A GAS ATTACK-’’ Mr Johnston: I rise to a point of order. I dont think we should sit here and listen to the chairman being insulted. Have we to sit here and listen to this gas business from Dr Collins all the evening! The Chairman: I think it right for. a time to allow open discussion. Ihc report itself is not open to discussion because it has gone. Dr Collins: I- want to say that this resignation was forced from this girlShe sat outside the matron s room for an hour, while you were talking to the matron. Then she was told she could go. „ , , _ Mr Johnston: How do you know. This is only talking liear-say. Dr Collins: The chairman can vouch for the truth. _ He was theie. A judgment, he continued, was made on a" four-minutes’ conversation. When the Board knew all the facts they would not be so anxious to run into trouble. Had two members of the Board gone into the matter witn the matron it never would have happened “If you hadli t got the Board behind you the last time ’’concluded Dr Collins, “you would have landed this Board m disgrace. “A HASTY ACTION.”

Answering Mr Jex-Blake, the chairman said that, on consideration he did not see the nurse before she left. Mr Holden thought the report should have been before the Board before it was sent-on. He was satisfied that the Chairman was too hasty in sending it on. , * , ~ . Mr McCliskie said that at the, las meeting the matter was .before the Board without so many details, and the Board confirmed the Chairman s action towards the matron. Mr Holden: Has any mqniry been m Chairman: “The matron made this report.” He pointed out that it was on his confirmation that tne matron took action. He had tried not to go beyond what the Board would wish him to do.

e Dr Collins asked why, on a parr! ticular case, lie had gone to the 3 j Board’s solicitors first, instead of the o; Board. •- - r I The Chairman said that it was a r different case. A lawyer’s letter was 3 handed to him, and he thought it right to place it beforfc thc-ir legal 3 ! adviser. The Board confirmed his 3 action. Dr Collins: The fact that the Board r might confirm an’ : illegal action would 3 not make it legal, b The Chairman: One member has - expressed the opinion that I was hasty - in sending the report. I would nke to hear the opinion of the other.-?. U i it was wrong it was my mistake, s Mr Humphreys said that he did not • see how the Chairman could have ' acted differently. The Board had s decided that the matron’s authority , . should be upheld, because they knew ■ what a hard task she had in front of J her. They were all determined that she should‘have control in the organisation. Dr Collins was the mostemphatic in that. Dr Collins: “That is not a fact.” He said that he would not be foolish enough to move a resolution giving someone they had not seen at the timesupreme power. He was emphatic that the discipline of the hospital should be improved, but that was different to robbing themselves of their supreme power. Mr Humphreys: We have not. done that yet. Dr Collins: You have done it. Mr Johnston said that they would have thought the resolution was to give the matron full power. The Chairman : No one would have thought anything else. Mr Johnston: “Because it has fallen on one of his pet lambs it is all wrong.” Dr Collins: All I can say is that ray resolution could not have been read that way. I can say as it has been taken that way, that I am not a party to what has happened, or what will happen. DID NOT WANT INJUSTICEMr Bright said that he was sorry ho had not been present when the motion was passed. His impression was that the power had been given, and he thought it would have been weak to retire from it. So far as the nurse went, they did not want to do an injustice to her. They agreed to the Chairman’s action, but if the Department wished an inquiry, the Board should not only not oppose it, but should call for it. The Chairman: Certainir. Mr Jex-Blake agreed with the remarks made by Mr Bright. "Mr Holden said that if the by-laws they had were not workable they should revise them. The Chairman; A committee habeen appointed to do that. _ Mr Holden: If the matron lias gone outside the by-laws I won't supporther. Mr McCliskie said that the matron had read the by-laws and decided that she had not the power to dismiss the nurse. She consulted the Chairman and the Board gave her the power to act with the confirmation of the Board. He thought every member would support the Chairman, for he had acted in conformity with the resolution at last meeting. Mr Jones said it was quite possible they had acted wrongly when the bylaws said that the matron could netdismiss. The Chairman said that lie had spoken for the Board, and the mat nr. did not act without consulting hii . He could not recall any similar case Mr Jones: It- may be that the Boa: 1 lias been a bit hasty in acting as :‘ has done. The Chairman : The matron took the view that the nurse might have been instantly dismissed. She took a lenient view of it in giving her another chance. Mr Jones: What is the object of this meeting. Is it to confirm you action ? • The Chairman: Since la-st_ meeting. I had this wire from Dr ValintineThat was a demand, and had to be complied with. I called the Boarc together to acquaint them with whauI had done. Mr Humphreys said that they were only dealing with, a case of resignation and not dismissal. “A QUIBBLE." Dr Collins said that was a quibble. It was an enforced resignation; the-Inspector-General used the right term. It was hypocrisy to call it a resignation. The Chairman: Don t talK a bouthypocrisy. It. was a voluntary resignation. „ „ Dr Collins: “The girl of 21 years was in the matron’s room for an hour begging not to be dismissed, and in the end the matron offered to write the resignation for her.” He contended that there had been given the girl t-o consult her The girls were under the control ci the Department, and nobody could touch those girls without the Department interfering. To take a young girl and throw her out atrer receiving IS months of her work, on a trivial fault-, and then pat themselves on the back The Chairman: No one is patting themselves on the back. Mr Bright suggested that the matter should be left over till the In-spector-General replied. The Chairman agreed that this might be the best course. He had asked Dr Valintine and the Lady Superintendent to visit Gisborne, and he hoped they would come.' He stilt held that he liat\ acted right If any further message came from Dr \ aimtine he would acquaint the Board. WAIT FOR DR VALINTINE. Mr Bright moved, and Dr Collins seconded, that they should defer further consideration of the matter tilt they heard from Dr Valintine. Mr . Humphreys pointed out that they would have to wait in any case. lhe motion was not pressed. Mr Humphreys moved, and Mr Sherratt- seconded, that the action othe Chairman in sending the report.be confirmed. This was carried Dr Collins, and Messrs Holden and Jones opposing it. , , It was suggested that a copy of the past minutes bearing on the matter should be sent to Dr Valmtine. Mr Jones opposed this, and Mr Holden also spoke against it, t±ethought Dr Valintine should come up and make an inquiry into the matterEveryone should have a chance eithei to defend or explain themselves. Mr Bright moved that all matters bearing on the question should be forwarded to Dr Valintine for his information. This was carried. There was some discussion as to whether the report should be handed to iac press. It- was resolved on a majority vote, that the press should have report.