THE PROBATIONER NURSES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17630, 21 May 1919, Page 7

THE PROBATIONER NURSES.

SHOBTAGE IN DUNEDIN HOSPITAL, UNPOPULAR CONDITIONS. REMEDIES SUGGESTED. The difficulty of obtaining tho services of probationer nurses in the Dunedin Hospital is causing serious anxiety to the rnatron and to the of the Hospital Board. A recent report by the matron showed that instead of there being 128 nurses in tho institution there were only 91, and that she was endeavouring to secure the services of V.A.D. workers as a moans of overcoming the difficulty. From inquiries made by a Daily Times reporter it would appear that the trouble is due to various causes, principally tho parsimonious policy of the Hospital Board, the internal control of tho institution, and shortage of female labour. , "hen tho question of the salaries paid to the nursing staff of the Dunedin Hospital was referred to tho chairman of the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board (Mr W. K B. Knight), he 'stated that in 1912 the staff was classified, and tho rate of salaries nxea, but since then the salaries had been gradually increased. If a nurso or sister thought she had a grievance in regard to salary she could place the matter beforo the board, and it would be fairly dealt with, but no such complaints had been received by the board. He had always been of the. opinion that probationers in their first .year had been underpaid. At one time they had received only £12 per annum, but provision had now been made for a maximum of £26 to be paid to first-year nurses. k*e J1 this amount he considered was anything but excessive. However, it should be stated that a dress allowance of £2 2s per annum was made to nurses during their three years' probationary period, and :t must also bo remembered that they were being taught_ their profession. Tho following was the classification, together with rate of pay of nurses in 1912: — Fibst DiviskSj. Grade L—Matron, £200. Grade 2. Sub-matron, matron (maternity) and matron (Sanatorium), £100. Grade 3—Matrons, Eaitangata, Lawrence, .fort Chalmers, and Tapanui, £80 to £90. Second Division. Grade I.—Home sister, Dunedin Hospital ; night sister, Dunedin Hospital; sister superintending Fever Hospital, and sistesuperintending Infirmary Ward, Caversi3am, £85. , Grade 2.—Ward sister, third year, £80. Grade 3.—Wajci sister, sccond year, £70. Grade 4.—Ward sister, first year, £60. ■ Third Division.' Grade I.—First year, £20, Grade 2.—Second year, £25 Grade 3.— I Tbixd year, £30. Grade 4.—Fourth year, £40 Board and lodging were included in tho above, and a uniform allowance was mad© to probationers in their first year. feme© 1912 various increases have been ttk.de hi the salaries of the nursing staff, and are the present salary rates-— Matron, Dunedin Hospital, £260 to £275; sub-matron, Dunedin Hospital, £153 to £175 • matron, Pleasant Valley Sanatorium, £150home sister, Dunedin Hospital, £130 to S : mfirmary wing, CaverSD«axQ, to £130; matron, Matermtv to £135; tuberculosis nurse; talßT9o li r^nedin ' Hospital, £120 to £12o; theatre sister, Dunedin Hospital, £120 to £125; senior surgical aster, £120; --senior; medical sister, £120 • X-ray aster, £100; crat-patient sister, £100'• superintending sister, Fever Hospital, £100 to £135; sister, Maternity Hospita l , £100 to ±.110; matron, Kaitangata Hospital, £80 to £1<»; Port Chalmers Hospital, £90 .pi iT, : Hospital, £100 to Hospital, £85 to + sisters: Third-year sister, £100 to. ±,110; second-year sister, £90 to £100ZftZ? 1 SIS^ r L- £S3 , to Nurses': lourth year (subject to having passed State examination) £50 to £60; third year, £30 £20 to H £25 to first'ySK

™^ e ®^o OWaDce to probationer for three years, £2 2s per annum. A local medical practitioner *who is closelv connected with the Hospital in his profes sion, stated to a reporter that the difficulty m g^e ttinprobation or nurses was not con+wV, 1° alone, but was common throughout New Zealand. This, he considered was due to a number of causes, but the small salary paid to probationer nurses entering the profession was certainly a conributing factor. ■ In these days when the cost of living was high the monetary inducement to probationers should be greater. Of iate the conditions governing the nurses' employment had been improved, the eighthours day being an instance of this, but there was probably room for improvement in ( the matter of holidays and sick leave .i?" ? 1 !. that required consideration was that relating to the nurses 5 study. At present the study had to bo done when the nurses were off duty, but it was a question whether the actual lectures should not be given during the, time they were on duty An old argument was that if the nursing proteesion was made too attractive by reason of high salaries, etc., the -wrong class of girls would be attracted, as they would enter the profession solely on account of the remuneration rather than for the love, of their work. That argument, the doctor considered, would not hold water. The cost of Irving had greatly increased, and wages had a so been on the up grade in practically aU trades and professions, and he considered that nurses had good grounds tor expecting thoir remuneration to be innilust bo remembered, however that hospital expenditure was increasing year by year, and if the Hospital was going to cater for all varieties of diseases and all classes of the community, there would have to be a corresponding increase in the amounts levied on contributing Jx>dLic-s This would probably result in the latter clainourlng to have the Hospital made a State institution. The nurses would then be State servants, and as such would b® entitled to share in tho superannuation, scheme—a priyilege that they did not enjoy at present Other local doctors, when asked to give an opinion as to the cause of the pronounced shortage of probationers offering theu- services at the present time, said that they were quite satisfied that the low starting salary had nothing to do with the matter. 'They declined, however, to state what they considered was the real reason" although they said it was well known to the nursing staff. It was pointed out that there was no dearth of applicants for positions on the nursing staff of the Christchurch Hospital, where the salary Tate differed little from that obtaining in Dunedin One doctor, however, was more outspoken on the subject, and stated that the shortage was due to two causes—the internal control of the Hospital and the prevailing shortage of female labour. The institution was particularly unpopular among members of tho nursing staff.

A sister, who was interviewed by a reporter, said she considered that there was very great room for improvement, both in regard to -working conditions and the salaries paid to probationers. The conditions certainly had been gradually improvsd, an nstance of this being a reduc tion of hours on duty to eight. Eight hours on duty per day was quite reasonable —in fact, shorter hours would bo a mistake j but tho nurses usually had too much to do during the period they were on duty. To get through the day's work conscientiously and thoroughly meant going at "top" pace the whole time, and not a minute was left to be "kind" to tho patients. By "kind" she .meant doing numerous little things that helped sick people apart from tho treatment prescribed by the doctors. Those little attentions were absolutely essential, but frequently tho nurses were so rushed with work that they scarcely had time to speak to the patients. That state of affairs she considered should, and could, be rectified As it was impossible_ to reduce tho amount of treatment, the difficulty could be overcome by appointing an extra nurse for each ward. She considered that the nursing profession, as far as the Dunedin Hospital was concerned, was without doubt too "solid" for any but exceptionally robust girls. If the conditions were relieved even a littlo there would bo a much better chanco of recruiting girls into the profession.

Speaking in regard to the question of salaries, the sister said that, although many nurses_ took up nursing- work for the love of it, it must be remembered that to many it -was their sole means of livelihood: The ' training consisted of a four years' course and for the first year a probationer received the 'large" sum of £1 13s 4-d psr month, together with a dress allowance of £2 2s a yea?. This amount -was insufficient to cover the cost of her clothing and other incidental expenses, and surely the nature her work entitled her to greater reVQtmeration. Domestic servants were paid anything from 25s to 30s per week for doing, in the majority of cases, considerably less arduous work than was performed by probationers. Hie salaries of the nursing staff had certainly been slightly increased rooectly, and Mat was a steu in

the right direction, but she was of the opinion that rather than .have such a small salary to begin with it would be more satisfactory if a iLxed amount on a more liberal and just scale were paid for the first two years ajnd then gradually increased. There were also certain internal conditions in the hospital which militated against the harmonious working of the institution and which caused dissatisfaction among the probationers *4ild staff nurses.

Speaking in regard to the complaints which had rejeently been mado about tho food the sister said that from her own experience she had never 6een any real cause for complaint. The food was wholesome and sufficient for requirements—in fact, she was confident that it was better t.lmn many of the patients received in their own liomes. With reference to the statement made by a soldier that a large number had to go without dinner on one occasion she really could not credit this. The dinner might have been short when it went to the ward, but if tho attention of the sister in charge were drawn to the shortage she would naturally heve ordered more dinner from the kitchen. She was inclined to think that the soldier responsible for the statement overdid his privilege of "grousing." Another sister, when spoken to in regard to tho shortage of probationers, said that this was undoubtedly due to the small starting salary. She made reference to the case of one girl who entered the profession, but having to depend solely on her salary to coyer her incidental expenses she found it quite impossible to make two ends meet after striving to her utmost to.do so. She (tho sister) also .knew of cases where probationers who did not possess private n eans found it impossible to keep out of debt, while she also knew several girls who were anxious to take up nursing as a profession but simply could not afford to do so. A probationer, who is at present serving in a private hospital but with previous public hospital experience, expressed strong views in regard to the pay and conditions of work. On commencing her duties in tho private hosp;tai she received 10s per week, but this amount had to be supplemented by her parents in order that she might not get into diibt. At a moderate estimate, sne considered that clothing alone for one year cost nearly douole tho amount of her-salary. A girl had always to be dressed tidily, and the wear and tear on uniforms was considerable. When on day work her hours w6re from 6 a.m. to 9 p.Tn,, with two-hours off during the day, which was extended to four hours if a slack period occurred, which, however, was very seldom. At present she was on night dirty from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., and, as was well known, the work was of a very strenuous and exacting natre. Personally she knew quite a number of girls who had expressea a desire to become nurses, but who were debarred from doing so'on account of the low rata of remuneration.