Inquiry Follows Nurse’s Death

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 419, 30 July 1928, Page 13

Inquiry Follows Nurse’s Death

MOTHER’S STORY

CHARGES AGAINST MATRON Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. At the inquiry to-day into the J.ath of Nurse Helen Jones at the Christchurch Hospital recently, Mrs. Jones, the mother of the dead nurse said that her daughter had been ’in training for over two years. <;he took annual leave in February and reported sick about May 1. She had a cought and her ankles were swollen. Leave was not granted to her it being stated that such was imOn May 22 she fainted in the hospital while on her way to duty. vj rs Jones bathed her daughter’s ankle, which gave the girl great pain. Then* the nurse went into the country to stay with an aunt for two or three W Later, the girl was to have been examined, and a time was arranged for u er to meet the matron. The latter took the girl into her room alone. Witness told the matron that the girl was really ill* Mrs. E. R* McCombs: Did you hear the matron say that if Nurse Jones were here daughter she would give her a good slapping? “Yes.” ‘That was on the Wednesday,” continued Mrs. Jones. ‘The family felt that the girl had been bady treated in that she had to spend the last two weeks on her feet when alia was not well.” advised to resign In a statement handed in Mrs. McCombs, who is a member of the hospital board, and who made the charges, said that accompanied by her mother and aunt the nurse reported back after sick leave on June 27. The matron saw the nurse alone and told her that her best course was to resign. The matron then dictated her resignation.

The mother was then admitted to the matron’s room, and told that her daughter was bored with the hospital atmosphere, and that the matron had advised her to resign. Mrs. Jones did not endorse this view of her daughter’s condition.

When her aunt saw the proposed resignation she advised the nurse npt to sign it, as the reasons given were contrary to fact. The reasons stated in the resignation were that the nurse disliked the hospital, and had never liked nursing. The resignation was not sent in. Talking to her aunt before the nurse and her mother, on this occasion, the matron had said that if Nurse Jones were her daughter she would give her a good slapping. The nurse was very much upset as the result of this interview. A £e& days after Dr. Brown was called in, and he advised her mother that the nurse was in a serious condition. On being told that Miss Jones was a nurse he advised sending her to the. hospital immediately. She was very reluctant to go because she felt .that the authorities there had done nothing for her previously. She was persuaded to gcj, however, and in less than a week she had sunk into a state of coma. Mr. J. R, Jones, the father of the girl, said that he had put a notice of thanks in the newspapers because he felt that the doctors and nurses at the hospital had done everything possible for his daughter. To Mr. Hunter: My daughter did not complain to me because she believed’ that if she did she would go back to the hospital. I don’t know why, but s he had the idea that if she complained she would go back. She begged me not to take her there.

The inquiry is being held by the North Canterbury Hospital Board. In addition to members of the board, the district health officer and the medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr. F ox, were present, as well as Mr. ” J. Hunter, representing the matron, Miss Muir.

The chairman. Mr. 11. J. Otley, said he hoped the inquiry would be as full as possible, in order that the whole matte* might be cleared up once and for all The inquiry is proceeding.