TRAINING OF NURSES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21053, 16 June 1930, Page 14

TRAINING OF NURSES.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ACT. ASSOCIATION URGES ITS WITHDRAWAL. Early in the present month a deputation from the New Zealand Trained Nurses’ Association waited on the Minister of Health (Mr A. J, StallwOrthy) to request that he should withdraw the proposed amendment to the Nurses and Midwives’ Act in its present form. The Minister gave the assurance that he would not countenance any amendment that would in any way affect the reciprocity or the status of the nursing profession, and also promised that when the Amending Bill is redrafted, he would submit it to the Nurses' Association before it is introduced to th House. . In explanation of the association’s point of view, it has drawn up the following statement;— As long ago al 1001 an Act was passed to provide for the registration of nurses iu. Now Zealand, the first "such Act in the world. The Act provided that only certain hospitals which were of a standard to meet the necessary requirements could become training schools for nurses, and these must be all public hospitals—i.e.,. those governed by a hospital board. A definite curriculum was laid down, and it was required that a- State examination must be passed. It was only in 1019 that the Government of Great Britain passed a Registration Act for trained nurses. Similarly to New Zealand, only certain hospitals are by this Act permitted to become training schools, these being the groat voluntary hospitals and the hospitals maintained by rates. ■ In the past the latter were known as the poor law hospitals, but ark, now governed by the,, various local authorities, A statutory body—the General Council of England and Wales—was set up by the Act to govern the licencing of training schools, to conduct the State, examination for nurses, and to maintain the general State register. It had also disciplinary powers. RECIPROCITY. Soon after taking office the General Nursing Council through the Colonial Office approached the Ne'w Zcftlntld Government on the Subject of reciprocity for. State registered nurses. It was ’pointed out to the 1 council that New Zealand had several small hospitals which were training schools, this being necessary to meet the needs of a young country with a scattered population, but that All these schools Wefe in public hospitals. Because of this uniformity of status a reciprocal arrangement was entered into.

, , New Zealand is in the proud position of being the youngest dominion and the only one to which full reciprocity has been granted because of the conditions already mentioned. This is a most important matter for nurses; many travel to England to obtain further professional experience, and" to do this they must be eligible to be at once placed on the British register. , It. has been argued that our present agreement would not Be altered by the proposed amendment to allow private hospitals to become training schools This the Trained Nurses’ Association has deto be incorrect. Information received as recently as last February stated that. “if hospitals run for gain wete to become-training Schools, the proposed; change would affect reciprocal agreement." THE EFFICIENCY OF THE NURSING SERVICE. Many opinions have beeti expressed concerning the competency of the Nursesand Midwives’* Registration Board to pro tect the standard of nursing service. This is quite correct to a point. The board must administer by law the Act under which it functions. Therefore if this Act is changed the policy of the board must necessarily, alter. i. Again, it is claimed by some, doctors that private . patients. ; can: bef.adequately nursed by /students .-.nurses. -, j Surely the opinion- of ;.tlw: matrons" -and teachers of nursing is Of vflluA In this matter. It is they who teach the nursing practices, and they, ate-, of'-A :Unanimous opinion throughout New Zealand that this is not possible, . quite apart, from ’ the question that patients paying large fees demand skilled nursing attention. : The general hospital is recognised a* the teaching centre for both the medical student and the nurse student all over the world. THE ECONOMIC ASPECT. Tho opinion that In the future private hospitals'will grow and serve to relieve the burden of the general hospital is , probablytrue. In Australia such hospitals are large, and influential. But those that are recognised ,-aa training schools for reciprocal agreement both in Great Britain and New Zealand, are public hospitals as well. That Is, the greater part of the hospital consists of public wards. If the private hospitals ih New Zealand extend in this manner and the requirements of the Nurses and Midwivcs’ Registration Board are met so that nurses trained in these institutions only do duty in the public wards while students, the Trained.Nurses’ Association will bo satisfied, as they feel that in this way their interests with regard to reciprocity and the efficiency of the nursing service to the public arc guarded Endorsement of the above’ has been received from all the branches of the Trained Nurses’ Association of New Zealand, which include Auckland, Waikato, Rotorua, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Greymouth, North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Otago, and Southland. In addition, the same endorsement bos been received from the whole of the trained nursing staff of the general hospitals throughout the Dominion, with tho exception of one nurse.