NURSES’ HEALTH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 29 November 1938, Page 8

NURSES’ HEALTH

MOVE JO EASE HI HDEN OF WORK AND STUDY 1 It lias been realised for a long time that it is hardly fair to expect nurses to do a full day's ward duty and then study or attend lectures,” ‘said the superintendent of the Wellington Public Hospital, Dr. A. R. Thorne, yesterday referring to a recent suggestion from Southland that the reason why so many nurses broke down iu health was that they had to study as well as work in the wards. The Wellington board, Mr Thorne said, had already decided that the block system would be introduced when a , sufiicder this system trained nurses did not attend lectures throughout the year concurrently with their ward work. Instead, sections of the year were devoted entirely to intensive study and other sections to practical work in the wards. At a recent, meeting of the board it, was stated that, if 100 additional nurses cculd be obtained, it would be possible to put the 40-hour week into operation within three or six months. Dr. Thorne said yesterday that, with the block system of training, shorter c»national facilities at the nurses’ home, an improvement iu the general standard of the nurses’ health could be expected. | 1 i the meantime the amount of sick-