DIPLOMAS FOR NURSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3783, 14 September 1926, Page 17

DIPLOMAS FOR NURSES.

POST-GRADUATE COURSE WANTED. OTAGO UNIVERSITY’S POSITION. Iri the Wellington Evening Post last week was published a letter which drew attention to an unfortunate position which had arisen between the Otago University and the Government, which had resulted in a deadlock in regard to the establishment of post-graduate courses for nurses in the Medical School of the Otago University. Inquiries have been made into the difficulty (reports the Post). The facts are set out below, together with a brief statement of what is being done in Great Britain, America, and some other countries in the way of providing for higher nursing education. From this it will be seen that New Zealand is not keeping abreast of other countries in this respect, owing, it would appear, to a change in the policy of the Otago University, or perhaps to the impecuniosity of that body. In 1923 the nurses of New Zealand, feeling that the time had arrived when provision should be made for the higher education of nurses, approached the Council of the Otago University with a request that a diploma in nursing should be instituted. This was agreed to on certain conditions, and a course of five years’ tuition was laid down, beginning and ending at the university, and with the three years’, hospital training required by the Registration Act in between. There are now six nurses who have begun the course. The fifth year of the course was set aside for the teaching of two more advanced subjects—(a) teaching and administration in schools of nursing, and (b) public health nursing.

In order that the benefits of the course might be made immediately available for nurses already trained, the Health Department sent two nurses abroad, one to England to study; (a) teaching and administration ; and the other to Canada to take a course in (b) public health; and to act ultimately as instructors m these subjects in connection with the diploma in nursing. These nurses have now returned to New Zealand, fully qualified to take up the work of teaching in Dunedin, but there appear to be no funds available for their respective salaries. The University authorities state that they are financially unable to pay the amount required annually for the purpose. The Health Department, on the other hand, maintains that, in sending two nurses abroad, and in taking responsibility for the expense of their travelling, maintenance, and college fees—(and in the case of one already in its employ, of salary also)—it has done all that could reasonably be ex pected of it. The Education Department has power to subsidise buildings and equipment only; and so the scheme seems destined to fail for want of the small amount required to pay these two salaries

The Dunedin branch of the Trained Nurses’ Association feel so strongly that nurses should be allowed the privilege of improving their knowledge and of adding to their usefulness as administrators and teachers that they have undertaken to raise half the'salary of the instructor for one year if the Government will subsidise the amount £ for £. They are confident that one year’s experience will be suffi cienfc to justify the importance of the position, und that there will bo no further difficulty.

There ure many trained nurses who would welcome the opportunity of taking a post-graduate course to fit them in nursing—in . our hospitals in accordance with the custom prevailing in other countries. Only recently one of our leading hospitals found it necessary to send Home for an adequate trained woman for. such a position. The appointment of suitable matrons will also be rendered less difficult when a selection may be made from those who have made a study of administration. Very few nurses have the means to enable them to go abroad in search of further training, and there would be no necessity for them to do so if enough money could be raised to pay the salaries of two specially trained instructors, approximately £9OO per annum. New Zee land nurses have been regarded as being second to none. Other countries are now

instituting the higher education of nurses; and, in our isolated position, it is asserted, we are in danger of losing our reputation of being foremost in progress and in effi ciency. Great interest is being shown in the subject throughout the hospitals of the Dominion, and it is urged that the course will be . most popular when once it is established. N In order to show what is being done in other countries with respect to higher nursing education, it may be mentioned that the new building of the College of Nursing, London, was opened by her Majesty the Queen on May 31. The building is the gift of Lord and Ladj Cowdray; and the college has already taken its place as an educational centre nursing, and has played an active and important part in improving conditions and raising standards for nurses. The British College of Nurses has been endowed by a wealthy benefactor, who desires to remain anonymous, with a donation of more than £IOO,OOO. In general terms, the college will be, first, air*educational and examining body, to afford instruction to nurses in professional subjects, and various specialties; second, it will hold preliminary and postgraduate examinations for the diplomas of the college, so as to distinguish those who have been registered by the General Nursing Council as proficient for the higher appointments in hospitals and other institutions; or, for the valuable appointments of the college itself. The following, among other universities in the United States and Canada, have made provision for schools of graduate nurses:—M‘Gill University > (Montreal), Toronto University, Columbia University (New York), Yale University, and Cleveland University In several countries in Europe similar provision has been made.

STATEMENT BY CHANCELLOR. WELLINGTON, September 9. Mr T. K. Skley, M.P. (Chancellor of the Otago University) made a statement to-day In regard to the position which has arisen between the University and the Government, and which has resulted in a deadlock in regard to the establishment of postgraduate courses for nurses at the University. Mr Sidey states the case as follows :

“About the close of 1923 the Council of the University decided to establish a postgraduate nursing course on the express understanding that no additional expense would be involved to the University. The approval of the council could not otherwise have been obtained, the treasurer and other members being very emphatic that the finances of the University were such that no additional obligations could be undertaken. The council apparently thought at that time that the final year of the course could be undertaken by the University staff together with the staff already employed by the Hospital Board. Some difficulties, however, seem to have been entertained, because early in 1924 the registrar was instructed to communicate with the Health Department asking for assistance towards the final course. Before that letter was sent, however, a communication w'as received from the Directorgeneral of Health dated May, 1924, offering to send a lady Home for special training as a tutor nurse, and the council interpreted that letter to mean that the department would not only send her Home, but would pay her salary after her return. That this was the council’s understanding was clearly borne out by the terms of its acceptance of the offer—namely:

The committee wishes to thank you very sincerely for the offer which you have made—an offer which its gladly accepts—for the carrying out of the specialised training In branch 1 of the five-year course.

“If the council had undertaken that it would be required to find the salary, it is clear that it would not have agreed to the proposed arrangement without ascertaining what its financial obligations would be.

TUTORIAL NURSES’ SALARIES. “The nurse duly went Home, and returned to New Zealand in time to take up teaching at the beginning of the year 1926. It then transpired that the department had no intention of paying the salary, and the University was not only financially unable to carry the additional burden, but was also prevented by its previous resolution from undertaking the duty. After some correspondence • letter was received

from the Director-general of Health. in November, 1925, including the following statement: —

Despite my certainty that in this matter your council has taken up a regrettable attitude, I have decided to recommend the Minister that, in view of the importance of the suggested course, and the fact that the appointed officers will presently return to New the Government will provide the salary of the tutorial nurses it has selected, but since they become thus wholly officers of the department, the department obviously has the right to decide in what district these officers shall carry on their duties, and though they may be stationed at Dunedin for the first year, the department wishes it to be clearly understood that they may hereafter be transferred to some other centre where their tutorial abilities may be made available in a wider field. “ Unfortunately, this recommendation did not bear fruit, and the department, in January, 1926, advised that the Minister did not approve of the paying of the salaries of the nurse tutors.

“ It will therefore be seen that the present impasse has been due to a misunderstanding of the letter of the department of May, 1924. The .Nurses’ Association in Dunedin has demonstrated its enthusiasm and sincerity in its desire to see this diploma course established, in that it has offered to subscribe and hand over to the Council of the University of Otago a sum which, with the usual subsidy from the Government, would enable the University to pay the salary for one year. I have submitted this proposition to the Health Department, and the Education Department would, unless the Minister approvd of the purpose, be obliged by the 1 Act and regulations to subsidise the nurses' contribution, and in any case if it were done under the existing law for the first year it could not be done unless by special arrangement in subsequent years, because the Act which has been put through this session does not permit of any subsidies being expended, but all future subsidies must be capitalised and the interest applied only for the objects for which the subsidies are given. I have, "however, unofficially learned that the Education Department declines to approve of the payment of the subsidy, even for this year, on the ground that the object is one, not so much for that department, as for the Department of Health “I am, therefore, making a further appeal to the Health Department in the hope that when all the circumstances are taken into account the Health Department may see its way to review the situation and render the necessary assistance to enable the course to be established. May I add that, as the course in nursing is one which is intended to benefit the whole Dominion, and especially hospital administration throughout the country, there are good grounds why the expense of the course should not be thrown on the University of Otago with its limited resources. but should be borne as a national scheme by funds centrally supplied. The University is prepared to organise the course, and for that purpose utilise fully the services of the Home Science School, and it should not be too much to ask that the financial obligations should be undertaken by the central authorities."