NURSES MAY LIVE OUTSIDE

Southland Times, Issue 23436, 17 February 1938, Page 6

NURSES MAY LIVE OUTSIDE

IDEA FAVOURED IN AUCKLAND DIFFICULTY OF SECURING TRAINEES (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, February 15. A stage has been reached when nurses, like employees in other professions, might be permitted to live away from their work, according to an opinion expressed by Dr E. B. Gunson at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board when it was decided to attempt to introduce a uniform scale of salaries for nursing staffs throughout the Dominion. Reference was made to the difficulty of securing girls for training. It was stated that other boards had broken qway from the previous scale that had been adopted and it was decided that the finance committee should investigate the question with a view to obtaining the assistance of the Hospital Boards Association in securing its replacement. Subsequently this proposal was amended to include consideration of the general question of the accommodation of nurses. “If the conditions of work were made attractive we should get all the girls for nursing that we require,” stated Dr J. P. Hastings. Dr Gunson said that the time seemed to have arrived when employees might be expected to live out. He knew of no other profession where employees were required to live in when they were of age, as most of the nurses were. Dr Hastings: The only other places I know of are convents and prisons. Dr Gunson said he visualized the time when all nurses would live out and he saw no difficulties in this proposition. It was a national question, however, and some interesting suggestion might be forthcoming from the association.