Dominion’s Need of Nurses

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 11

Dominion’s Need of Nurses

DIFFICULTY OF NEW HOURS The shortage of nurses in New Zealand and tho difficulties that will be raised by the shortening of the hours of nurses to 48 a week are commented upon in the annual report of the Department of Health. It is stated that should the normal wastage continue it would probably be difficult to provide a complete bedside i nursing service as proposed under the national health scheme without developing a subsidiary nursing scheme. “No country has yet determined how many nurses per population it requires —this must be a varying liguro according to the standards of living of tho community,’’ states the report. “New Zealand has 5.5 hospital beds per 1000 population, with tho same allowance in England. In the same way, if all the nurses appearing on the active register were counted, New Zealand has one nurse per 400 of tho population, which is much as the position in England, where there were 80,000 nurses on the active register at the end of 1036. But if the actual number of known nurses employed in New Zealand is assessed it allows one nurse to 500 population. “Once tho proposed regulations reducing the hours of work in private hospitals to 48 per week come into force, at least 60 more registered nurses will bo required, and it is possible in the near future that another hundred will bo required for the expanding public health services. Tho annual increase by means of examination in future will be in the neighbourhood of 400 to 420. Should the annual wastage of approximately 50 per cent, continue, as is likely, it would probably bo difficult to provide a complete bedside nursing service for all sections of the community as was proposed under the national health insurance scheme without developing a subsidiary nursing scheme. “In tho same way there has been a general demand for nurses in obstetrical hospitals. The position at present is that there are 1500 maternity nurses on the active register and 1755 midwives on the active register, making a total of 3255. This allows for pne obstetrical nurse per 500 population. Many of the maternity nurses will be registered nurses who are not regularly actively engaged in maternity nursing. This ( will be true of the older midwives, but owing to lack of an annual practising certificate the exact position is not known.”