HOSPITAL NURSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 29

HOSPITAL NURSES.

ARE THEY ADEQUATELY PAID? Mr Knight (chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board), at the conclusion of the ordinary business oh the 29th, said he would like to refer to the criticism which appeared in the Otago Daily Times regarding the working conditions, wages, etc., of the nurses in the Dunedin Hospital. He would submit a minute of what took place in connection with a conference he held with the nurses on the matter.

The secretary- then read the chairman's minute as follows:

"I have to report having, in company with the secretary, conferred with between 50 and 70 members of the nursing staff in the lecture room at Dunedin Hospital in connection with an article which appeared in the Otago Daily Times of the 21st inst. I asked if any member of the. nursing staff had any complaint or grievance, and if so, to state the same fully, with a view to the board giving consideration thereto ond remedying the same as far as possible. One nurse represented to me tfhe overcrowding of the wards, stating that the nurses did not mind the extra work, but considered that on account of such overcrowding the treatment ordered for the patients was not given. It was further suggested that more maids be engaged to do the scrubbing and domestic work, instead of asking the nurses in their first year, which it was considered would make the service more attractive. The sub-matron fur ther mentioned that she was' unable to obtain domestic help, and it was also stated that it was considered that the salaries or the domestic staff would require more consideration than the nurses' salaries,, with which the nurses expressed themselves as satisfied,- with, however, one exception, onenurse stating that she thought the tfourthyear nurses who were placed in charge of wards should receive more pay, but another nurse stated that she had no doubt the fourth-year nurse welcomed the extra responsibility on account of the advanced training. Another nurse ventilated certain discontent among nurses in their sectJfid year, who were still doing junior work. A further question whether leave granted on account of sickness and convalescence in regard to the recent influenza epidemic should count in regard to a nurse obtaining her fourth year's certificate was brought forward. Before leaving, it wa&ysuggested by the nursing staff that they would lika the slur cast on the matron in the article in the newspaper to bo removed. In reply to the representations, I- suggest, and now recommend for approval, that the matron be authorised to act in arranging for more domestic help in the wards, and with that end in view, the wages of the wardswomen be increased from 6s to 8s per day to compensate for them coming back in the evenings to wash up the dishes after tea, say one and a-half to two hours' work. This could be given a trial to" see whether it would have the desired effect. In regard to the second-year nurses doing junior worK, this has been occasioned on account of the shortage of probationer nurses, which I understand from the Medical Superintendent is principally caused by the lesser number of candidates forward and the higher medical test applied to candidates chuing the last six months. I advised the nurses that absence on account of the epidemic would not count in connection with their fourth year's service, say absence for a reasonable time to convalesce after being attacked by the disease." Continuing, the Chairman said the matter had been before the board at- different times'. On reading the report in the Otago Daily Times he thoughj it would be advisable to wait on the nurses. This he did. Dr Falconer and the matron were not present, as he considered the nurses would probably speak with more freedom in their absence. He questioned them first of all as to their salaries. There was no complaint. More than one of the nurses said they were perfectly satisfied with their sahrios, and were only too pleased with the training they received. He then asked, them if they had complaints as to their conditions of living and of work, and received no complaint whatever. He then asked them if they had any suggestions to to make that would tend to assist them at the present time, in the overcrowded condition of the Hospital, and received the reply that they thought it would be advisable if more domestic help was given them that if a proportion of the work for • the first year probationers could be transferred to this help it would overcome the difficulty. He then thought it advisable to instruct Dr Falconer and the matron to endeavour to get the domestic helps to work longer hours. The speaker then read the following extract from the article in the .Daily Times :—" Other local doctors, when asked to give an opinion as to the cause of the pronounced shortage of probationers offering their 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 Ohristchurch Hospital, where the salary rate 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 the nursing staff." Continuing, he said he would like to point out that from May 1, 1918, till April 30, 1919, 70 applications for nursing positions were received by the matron. Of these applicants 50 were examined, 22 were found to be unfit, 28 wore passed and appointed, and 20 did not appear for examination. Four probationers left the service during the -first three months for health reasons, one was transferred, one left for England, one married, one proved unsuitable, and three left for domestic reasons. The same thing no doubt existed in the other centres as in Dunedin. What ho took exception to —very great exception—was the statements made by the " other local doctors." He thought that statement was absolutely, unjustified. One could not imagine anything that could be said or written that would tend to prevent Women who were fitted for the position from applying. It was an innuendo, and he thought it was regrettable that any medical man would go to this extent unless he could absolutely prove his assertion. The nurses would deny it. A charge was evidently made particularly against the matron.

He thought that these medical men should come oui into the open and make a statement similar to that he had quoted. Mr> Jaokson said she had met some of tho nurses in the street. They had told her that the conference with Mr Kniglit had been called at very short notice, and they were not able to be present. They had said they were not satisfied with the salaries. They had also said that when Mr Knight had asked as to the management none of tho nurses could say anything because they would have been "sat on. It was asserted that Mr Knight had put words into their mouths when ho spoke about the matron and the medical superintendent. Mrs Jackson then asked if one of the nurses had not desired to move a motion. The Chairman: No, it was never mentioned in my presence—no such thing was ever mentioned.

Mrs Jackson: They said they were not satisfied. I know we women are not satis fied about the nurses' salaries. —("Hear, hear.") The majority of the nurses were not on the side of the matron and the medical superintendent. Had tho nurses appeared before the chairman and one of the older members they would have heard a different story.

Mrs Macfie also said that the nurses were not satisfied with their salaries, and they could not expect them to be satisfied. In Christchurch the sisters were paid almost twice as much as they were in Dunedin. If a sister was worth three guineas for nursing a single private patient, surely a, hospital sister was worth throe guineas. The Chairman quoted figures, and said the salaries paid in Dunedin compared most favourably with those paid in Christchurch. Mr F. G. Cumminrr sa jt was hardly fair to compare their Hospital with other hospital muses, because they had the Medical Schoo! here. Th?ir nurses might have to do more work than other nurses

Dr Falconer said he did not believe any hospital was worked as hard as theirs during the •'■ar. The nurses in Dunedin had the opportunity of listening to the lectures.

Mrs Jackson said some of these nurses received £26 per year, and they had to pay a charwoman 9s a day. The nurses had to do work similar to that of a charwoman. Mrs Macfie said she would move that the nurses' salaries be increased by 20 per cent. The Chairman said she would have to give notice of such a motion. Mr F. G. dimming said it was unfortunate that a member of the Hospital Committee or a member of the Visiting Committee had not been asked to attend the conference with Mr "Knight. There was no denying the fact that there was a good deal of uneasiness with regard to the management of the Dunedin Hospital. Whether the management was at fault or the board, it was not for him to say, but he thought it would be a proper thing for the board or a committee to go into the matter. He must speak for himself, notwithstanding the fact that this report had come down it did not realieve his mind "from an uneasy feeling that there were reasons for these things being brought forward. He spoke as a representative of the people, and he was satisfied that this..matter should be carried further than the report had carried it. Practically the management had been challenged. The chairman's position would have been strengthened if another member had been with him at the inquiry. He did not suggest, however, that the chairman had intended to ignore the Hospital Committee.,

The Chairman said he did not agree that the management had been challenged, inasmuch as those making the statements had not shown themselves. If these people were willing to come forward and show themselves then he was with them in setting up a committee to go into the whole management of the institution. It was a most unfair statement—;and more particulary coming from a medical man—most unfair to challenge the management, as had been done, by saying it was a "most unpopular institution" —to his mind in an under-hand way: Mr F. G. Gumming: My efficiency as a member of the board has been challenged. I say we ought to be able to give an answer, and we can.

Mrs Gordon: If they have any grievance, why don't they ventilate it? Mrs Jackson: They would bo too frightened. Mrs Macfie; The whole trouble seems to be that more domestic help is needed, also higher salaries. She thought it would remove all difficulties if that was agreed to. Mr F. G. Gumming then moved, and Mr Scurr seconded, that the chairman's minute be received.

The Lyttelton Times states that a letter was received by the North Canterbury Hospital Board on Wednesday from the Otago Board enclosing the scale of salaries paid to nurses by that board. Several members pointed out that the salaries paid by the North Canterbury Board were higher than those paid in Otago, especially in the lower grades. Tho letter was referred to the Hospital Committee.