A NURSE’S DISMISSAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3898, 27 November 1928, Page 27

A NURSE’S DISMISSAL.

UNJUST TREATMENT ALLEGED. TO APPEAR BEFORE HOSPITAL BOARD. AUCKLAND, November 20. Iho case of Nurse E. A. Blackie, who was dismissed from the hospital staff by a special committee appointed by the Auckland Hospital Board for sending a letter to a prisoner at the Mount Eden Gaol who had been a patient and in which was an indiscreet reference to the lady superintendent of the hospital, was again considered by the board to-day. After a rather heated discussion, lasting an hour, 'it was decided that the nurse should appear before the board at a special meeting next Monday so that the board might hear what she had to sav in her defence. Nurse Blackie’s case was considered by the board in committee last week, and the chairman (Mr W. Wallace), the medical superintendent (Dr C. E. Maguire), and the lady superintendent (Miss A. Taylor) were appointed a special committee with powe r to act in dealing with Miss Blackie. The committee met, and it was decided that the nurse should be dismissed. A letter from Miss Blackie was read to Lie board to-day. She said she was tola to leave the hospital at once and although five weeks’ pay was owintz to her she had not received it. She had only 7 S 6d in her possession, and would have been in a serious position had it not been for friends, as her home was in the South Island. Referring to the prisoner, Miss Blackie said he had been a great help to the nurses while at the institution, doing odd jobs for them. Naturally when he was taken away they all missed him very much, and she wanted to give him some little thing to help to cheer him up and convey their appreciation At first she thought of a pair of slippera, but not being financial, sent him a packet of cigarettes with a note. “ The mode of address, Hello, old chap,’ was merely thatj could not bring myself to call him thn„ t ter added - “ We never thought of him as anything else but a said that P ’on 2 ontinuin f?> Nurse Blackie entero th the occasion when she caulht -U ? Ur TJ h , Om ? late she "'as caught. I would ask the board to reHnn T er h my CaSe J n , view of the explana--1 i J h; -T made ’ Miss Buckie conSt ed; 1 tbat m y letter was most indiscreet, but I think that to have , ™cter and my career destroyed nd to be dismissed at a moment’s notice is too severe a punishment fo r what I have done. MhJ S^ e h a i d n had been state d that hor Th ? !e men of finance backing her. That would not frighten him. She behind r E' e “ S ’'” re d “‘ ’» bo« Mr Wallace referred to the statement of Miss Blackie that she had been dismissed without her wages. These, he said, had riot been collected by her and were waiting for her. tn 2" the s , u . rface tbe punishment looks to be a pretty severe one,” Mr M J Savage stated. “I would suggest that the committee should reopen the case and the girl to appear.” . * /h ln k it is our business to whom the girl writes so long as she does her work, commented M r Laimr. “f n my .opinion she should only have been punished for being out late. n t f M J ’ • R l ° We : J 1 is ,iarsh treatment to put the girl out the way she was put out. rs A. Kidd said the hospital was a training ground for nurses, and they would have to be very strict. u™ S'be.’a? 5 ™ thi " ks, » “ Mr s Kidd: Yes, I do. The chairman said that all the nurses weie in the habit of coming i n late Discipline had to be maintained. Miss Blackie had said in her letter that the matron was “ going soft.” 1 P , erba P s sho meant softhearted.—(Laughter.) The chairman added that nurses were ®?“’ lly get ?% l " through the maids’ in® 1 ’ 3 u nd J chl P b, n£ over their beds !f they allowed this it would be the end of discipline. The resolution to hear Miss Blackie was then moved and carried.