To Improve Status Of Mental Hospital Nurses

Northern Advocate, 14 September 1944, Page 2

To Improve Status Of Mental Hospital Nurses

(PA.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Moving the second reading of the Nurses and Midwives Registration Amendment Bill wiii‘ll the House of Representatives resumed last night, the Minister for Health (Hen. A. H. Nordmeyer) said Wo Bill would considerably improve the status of mental or psychiatric nurses by bringing them within the control of llie Nurses and Midwives' Registration Board.

Dealing with a clause which requires hospital boards to employ only registered psychiatric nurses for psychiatric nursing. Mr. Nordmeyer said that the Dunedin and Wellington Public Hospitals already had psychiatric wards, and probably' other large hospitals, particularly Auckland and Christchurch, would soon require them. It was desirable that nurses in such wards should he fully trained and qualified. In some countries every nurse doing general training was required ro spend a short portion of her course as a nurse in a mental institution. That might not be necessary or desirable hero, but certainly it. was desirable Thai a number of nurses should have dual training so that those undertaking nursing as It career, particularly ward sisters, should have a knowledge of mental nursing.

111-founded Statements Mr. Nordmeyer said that (ho harm which had been done by ill-founded statements, particularly by counsel at manpower hearings, had led to the alienation of many young women who would otherwise have entered the nursing profession. Work in menial hospitals was in many respects on a parallel with work' in public hospitals. It was true that in some cases the hospitals were old and not suitable for the work, but: they were being replaced as fast as possible by modern villas. Cabinet had approved of a new institution at Marten which eventually will have 10C0 beds.

He paid tribute to the work of the head of the Mental Hospital?, Department (Dr. Gray), and all who worked under him. A high, percentage of those who went into mental hospitals were cured, and the Bill, by providing for botetr training of nurses, should increase the number or iliose cured.

Opportunities for Overseas Study

Therefore, it was a good Bill, and the Opposition would give it full support. He Mvegosted that the Bill should make provision for the training ol nurses at. Iho onlv private mental hospital in New Zealand; that the Government should give doctors and senior nurses opportunities to or, ov-rseas to * study modern psychiatric practice and nursing; and that nurses should be given the right of appeal to a iudleial authority against being struck off the register bv the Registration Baord. Mr. T. H. McCombs (Govt., Lyttelton) mentioned that there were over 8000 noficntr in New Zealand mental hospitals Many of them could well be provided for m hemes for the aged. They went to a mental liosn-tal under present conditions through lack of better facilities for care 'I i'mm.

Many a nod people in nu-nt.-il hospitals ’"ov-* nr: realty mental patients, hut th«y did nor-cl comfort, cam and export nursing.

Should Be No Odium

The Prime Minister (Hon. P. Fraser) said mental illness should be looked upon like physical illness, and there should bo no odium attached to a person because hi? nerves had broken down or because his brain was impaired by injury or other causes. Once that idea was grasped there would be no more of the preposterous statements that Mad been made bv persons. including a church dignitary, regarding conditions in mental hospitals. Responsible persons should not make such harmful-statements when Ihere were so many opportunities for them to find out the true state of affairs. Mr. Nordmeyer. replying 1o tiro debate, said, regarding Mr. McCombs’ suggestion, that Jie had hopes that one caipp in tire North Island and one in the South Island could be made available for the purpose of providing accommodation for aged people whose health had made Utem unsuitable for an ordinary old people’s homg but who were not necessarily certifiable as mental patients. The provision of a place for such people would relievo them rytei their relatives of the unjust stigma of being sent to a mental hospital. The Bill was onlv one of the steps it was proposed to take io raise the status and improve the working conditions of mental nurses.

The Bill vent through the committer* r.tass without debate and was passed at IC. 14 p.m.

Bfxing.—The New Zealand welter and middle-weight champion, Vic Cnltcaux. will meet the Australian we'ller weight champion. Vic Patrick, 'at Sydney on October 21. Calteaux’s fighting qualtiies have been highly praised and the bout, is expected to aitract a large crowd. Boxing has been booming in Sydney. Ii is expected that Cabeaux will arrive in Sydney in about a fortnight before lii.s bout with Patrick, a serviceman, who is Sydney’s fistic idol.