NURSES AT HOSPITAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21263, 17 August 1932, Page 11

NURSES AT HOSPITAL

NIGHT STAFF INADEQUATE

THEATRE AND SPECIAL WORK

ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Several recommendations by the medical superintendent, Dr. J. W. Craven, nffecting the nursing staff at the Auckland Hospital, were adopted by the Auckland Hospital 'Board yesterday. Dr. Craven reported that tlio night nursing staff was inadequate. At present there was only one nurso on duty from 10 p.m. until 6,a.m. in each of 14 wards. This did not provido adequato safety for patients and nurses and ho recommended that four extra nurses lie provided for night duty in wards 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. It was not necessary to provido extra nurses for duty in the main building. The staffing of operating theatres was a most important matter. Dr. Craven said that, when visiting the wards, he had often found that both the sister and staff nurse were on duty in the theatres and that patients, still' under the effects of anaesthetics, were being returned to be attended by less qualified nurses, who were part of a depleted gtaff. This was not in the best interests of patients and he supported the request of the lady superintendent to engage three extra staff nurses for theatre work.

The need for extra nurses to deal with special cases was also stressed by Dr. Craven, although he made no definite recommendation on this point. Many types of cases required a special nurse, giving her attention to that caso alone, he said, and at present it was impossible to make this provision if nurses were to have their days off duty. The recommendations in the medical superintendent's report were adopted.