NURSES AND MIDWIVES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16358, 30 September 1913, Page 3

NURSES AND MIDWIVES.

«, THE DOMINION'S INCREASING ■ SUPPLY. EFFECT OF REGISTRATION ACT. [From Our Coßr.Esro.vDENT.] WELLINGTON, September 27. Tho number of nurses [icing trained in our hospitals is increasing yearly, states tho public health report.. During tho year 141 trained in New Zealand wore admitted to registration, while 47 new arrivals in the dominion were also granted registration. " The question of having a uniform scale of salaries for hospitaL nurses has frequently been discussed, but as each Board sets its own scale, and naturally desires to reward good service by some recognition, it is almost impossible to expect any success, having regard to tho varying conditions and inducements offered in the services of the several hospitals," comments Dr Valintino. Coming to tho midwifwy question, the report points out that the number of midwives added, to the register during the year was 91, all of these having been trained. Of the number, Gl were trained in the State maternity and other recognised training schools in Now Zealand, and 30 were admitted on certificates obtained in other parts of the Empire. Trained midwives aro going out as district nurses and subsidised nurses under the Hospital Boards to the backblocks and establishing private maternity houses in country towns. The number of untrained midwives registered when tho Act first passed was 682, and during the firstyear only 52 trained -women were registered. The number of trained midwives now on the register, however, is rapidly overtaking the number of untrained women registered on their practical experience -when the Act was passed. There are now 540 trained midwives and 685 untrained, the number of the former beine; constantly added to and tho latter diminishing.