NURSES’ ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1937, Page 13

NURSES’ ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL DINNER. ' About 160 persons attended the annual dinner of the Palmerston North branch of the Registered Nurses’ Association which was held in the Rosco tearooms last evening. Representatives were present from various women’s organisations. The tables were attractively decorated with sweet peas, gladioli and delphiniums in shades of red, whit© and blue, while charming posies marked the places of the Mayoress (Mrs A. E. Mansford), Miss C. McKenny (who presided), Mrs J. A. Nash, and Miss J. Moore, instructor in post-graduate nursing, the guest of honour. Associated with these ladies were Mesdame's J. W. Rutherford, J. H. North, H. Paterson (Pahiatua) arid the vice-presidents of the association (Misses L. Banks and Allen), Miss Murphy, matron of Karitane Hospital, Wanganui, and members of the council. Dainty posies, the work of Mrs Charlesworth, were presented to Miss Moore, Mrs Mansford and Mrs Nash. Miss McKenny, in extending a welcome to the nurses and .tlieir friends, said that she was delighted that more had come along this year, _ as the mil-sen had looked forward with enthusiasm to this gathering. Visitors could be sure of a hearty welcome. Among the apologies for absence were those from Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, Mesdames J. Hodgens, M. Aitchison, Misses C. R. Clark (Dominion secretary). A. L. Robov. Curtis and Lambie (Director of Nursing). Miss Moore, who was the only representative present from Wellington, said she was only one of the many who were seeking to improve the conditions for nurses, and took as her subject “The Progress of Nursing Education.” This had been a great year for nurses, sa.icl Miss Moore, <is the first international professional gathering of women, founded in 1899 bv Mrs G. Fenwick, had been held in'London for the first time. New Zealand, which had been twelfth to enter, had been represented. there being, besides thy cl el egates, 56 registered visitors. All had been proud of-mingling with their fellow nurses and battling with tlieir respective problems, and, despite New Zealand’s isolation, being able to keep in touch with'the progress being made in other countries. , , , The development of the student nurse had to he nientnl, physical am spiritual and nurses had to be fitted for wlmt they would face in the tuture,” Miss Moore added. In various other professions, there were schools wherein students got practice for the work they were taking up, and nursing, which was a service required from the pre-natal period to the grave, would he much more accomplished if the opportunities of other professions were available to it. in Britain a break was being made from traditional methods, and nursing was being made more attractive. I lorence Nightingale had shown great toresight when she saw the need of preventive medicine, and the speaker expressed the opinion that some ot the money used for hospitals should he used instead for preventive measures. The schools in Canada and the United States where students were able to get the same start as in other professions, were making great headway. If a matriculation standard of education was necessary for dental nurses, how much more necessary it was for the nurse who cared for the whole of the body and who might have to meet any emergency. The post-graduate school for nurses, through which had passed 116 students, was going along very well, but nursing was being kept back for want of money. The objective of the association was a central teaching college for nurses who would then go on to tlieir respective hospitals for further training. Although England made New Zealand nurses very welcome, it did not desire ian exchange and did not ask what New Zealand was doing although in the United States and Canada people were always anxious to know. Miss Moore advised parents to give tlieir girls a sound home training to prepare them for tlieir future work, as most hospital matrons to-day were those who had been trained to run a home and run it well. The new systems all required more nurses and more money, but they would be well worth while. The tilings that were being sought were the provision of training schools for nurses, more time for training and the gradual training of students to accept responsibility, as in Canada. In conclusion, Miss Moore said that not only curative but preventive medicine must develop, and that it was hoped to have special ofib cers set aside to go round New Zealand to assist with organisation, for the betterment of the nursing service and welfare of all.

On. the motion of Miss V. Kelly a vote of thanks was accorded Miss Moore for her address. An enjoyable violin solo, “Romance,” was played by Mrs J. Fisher, while two songs, “A Spirit Flower” and “The Poor Man’s Garden,” were the contribution of Miss Iris Sutherland. A humorous sketch by the Palmerston North Hospital nurses caused much amusement.