NURSING SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23259, 31 January 1939, Page 3

NURSING SERVICE

ATTITUDE OF MEMBERS ADDRESS TO CONFERENCE PRESERVATION OF IDEALS The attitude of nurses to their profession was the subject of an address by Miss M. I. Lambie, director of nursing, at the Nurses' Christian Union conference in Wellington. "Outside people," said Miss Lambie, "nro inclined to believe that nurses live a life apart from ordinary people, that they work long hours for poor salaries. In consequence, a legend has grown up about 'noble nurses.' "There have been many noble women who have dedicated their lives to nursing in a heroic and self-sacrificing: spirit," she added. "These women are indeed splendid, but about 80 per cent of nurses join the profession because it is work giving them a certain amount of prestige, opportunity for travel, superannuation, an interesting, occupation and so forth."

Miss Lambie said that in that attitude there was a danger of losing the sense of service which was the ennobling element of nursing. "Even such mundane and unpleasant tasks as cleaning wards can seem more worth while when one realises that they add to the comfort of patients," concluded Miss Lambie. It is this attitude which nurses should strive to preserve and to communicate to thoso with whom they come in contact." At the commencement _ of proceedings the delegates stood in silence in tribute to the memory of Miss Lydia Williams, of Hawke's Bay, and Mrs. Mary Latchmore, of Auckland. Mrs. Tythe-Brown, a vice-president, spoke of the wonderful and inspiring work done by these two nurses and of the loss the union suffered by their death. The following officers were elected: President, Mrs. H. Bayldon Ewen; vice-presidents, Mrs. Tythe-Brown, Mrs. T. N. Gibbs, Misses Bicknell and E. Williams, Captain Berry; North island secretary, Miss M. Friis; South Island secretary, Miss J. Samson; missionary secretary, Mr. J. Carsivell, assisted by Mrs. F. Hoare; minute ecretary, Miss E. Julius; Dominion treasurer, Mrs. J. B. I. Cook; committee, Mesdames Robieson, Harding, Highet, Henderson, Peart, Misses Bridges, Aiken, Blathwavt, A. E. Stephenson, V. Dawes; advisory board, Miss Lambie, the Revs. N. F. E. Robertshawe, L. J. Boulton Smith. A.' G. Gardiner, Dr. Bayldon Ewen, Dr. Gordon Kemp, Dr. G. Anderson.