HAWERA DISTRICT NURSE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1934, Page 19 (Supplement)

HAWERA DISTRICT NURSE

APPOINTMENT DECIDED UPON HOSPITAL BOARD TAKES ACTION. JOINT UPKEEP WITH RED CROSS. The appointment of a district nurse for the Hawera hospital district was decided on by the hospital board at the monthly meeting yesterday. The work of the nurse is to be controlled by a committee consisting of three Red Cross council representatives and three board members under the chairmanship of Dr. J. Cairney, medical superintendent at the hospital# The upkeep of the nursing service will be borne partly by the Red Cross Society and partly by the board. The nurse will be under the supervision of Dr. Caimey and will be available for hospital work if required. The question of a district nurse was first raised at the June meeting of the board, when the Department of Health wrote asking the board to provide £5O towards the upkeep of a nurse stationed at Opunake to supervise Maori welfare between Warea and Mokoia. The board after a discussion decided to make no grant to the department and proceeded on the lines detailed below, it being pointed out that as a result the arrangement at Hawera would be identical with that at New Plymouth, where the department’s request for assistance was also refused.

The conditions of appointment recommended by Mr. Bridger and adopted by the board were that the Red Cross Society provide and maintain a motor-car for the use of a district nurse while on duty; that the hospital board provide the salary of a full-time nurse, drugs, all necessary equipment and oil and benzine for the car; that the control of the nurse be placed under a joint committee consisting of three, members of the South Taranaki Red Cross Centre and three members representing the hospital board, and that Dr, Caimey be appointed chairman pf the committee; that the activities of the nurse be confined to the hospital rating area and Opunake township and district, and include service both to Europeans and Maoris. The service to Opunake will be restricted to educational and instructional work. MR. BRIDGER’S REPORT. Mr. Bridger submitted the report which he was asked at last meeting to provide, pointing out that it had been approved by the Red Cross Council. The report strongly recommended the board to consider the appointment of a nurse. A detailed report' of Sister Small’s work during the year ended March 31 was given. The report, Mr. Bridger claimed, showed that this essential health service to the district was perhaps possible only where there were people who had received training in first aid and home nursing services, and the knowledge that was imparted to classes of seniors and juniors was reflected in the health of the community, and militated against the possibiltiy of many cases finding their way to the hospital eventually. “Exceedingly valuable services have been rendered by the combined Red Cross Society and the Health Department nurses, which the district is now being deprived of for various reasons, and which has undoubtedly saved the hospital board many hundreds of pounds, by prompt and preventive action taken by someone able to give expert advice and attention,” the report concluded. The Health Department recognised the advantage of the district nurse arrangement that had existed for five years, said Mr. Bridger in enlarging upon his report. The definite advantage to the board of being associated with the Red Cross were that the Red Cross branches in South Taranaki had a definite interest in the activities of a district nurse and were ready to co-operate and assist in the administration of the nurse’s work, especially in connection with educational and instructional work. That side of the work was of the utmost importance, as instanced by the work of the Plunket Society, ' RESULTS OF INSTRUCTION. "Owing to educational and instructional work the mortality among New Zealand children is the lowest in the world. This fact alone should be enough to impress upon the minds of board members and people generally that prevention is better than cure,” said Mr. Bridger. Four hundred cases of accidents were dealt with on fields of sport by the firstaid detachment last year, and it was certain that but for that prompt attention many cases would find their way to hos.pital “It is the duty of all hospital boards to prevent disease and not just to treat people after they became sick,” emphasised the speaker. If this principle were firmly held and the board’s energies directed in this way, the cost of administration would undoubtedly fall. We suggest that the nurse be paid the same salary as is paid to a nursing sister at the hospital and that she be accommodated at the Nurses’ Home. She would then be available for services at the direction of the department. The car could also be kept at the hospital.” Mr. Bridger moved that the recommendations be approved, and adopted for one yea?. Mr. W. G. Simpson supported Mr. Bridger. He felt it would be of great advantage to the whole district to have such a nurse and Dr. Cairney would be able to. utilise the services available tn the best possible advantage. By adopting the recommendations they would be following lines approved throughout the world and adopted in New Zealand, for example, at New Plymouth and at Hutt. General health would be improved and the system would have the sympathetic regard of the Health Department. The educational aspect was very important, pointed out Mr. Simpson. The expense would not be very great and it would be well spent. The ratepayers generally were out of touch with the hospital institution and an arrangement of this kind with lectures and classes would give people a greater interest and a feeling that they were assisting. Mr. Bridger gave Mr. S. J. Bennett figures of cost. The system of dual control was working at New Plymouth; the nurse was paid £2OO and car and drug expenses were £125. It cost the hospital board at New Plymouth expenses and half salary, a total of £225. At Hawera the board would not have to provide a car, as the South Taranaki Red Cross already had one. One thing that had amazed him when Red Cross work was commenced, said Mr. Simpson, was the tremendous enthusiasm and appreciation of country peo - ple. With a nurse caring for country people’s health there would be a saving in “follow-up” cases, said Dr. Caimey. In addition a nurse would be able to do good work by bringing cases to hospital before their ailments became acute, thereby saving hospital time. There were two propositions before the board—to subsidise the Health Department in its work among Maoris, which would leave the care of white people unprovided for, or, a more expensive alternative, to come to’ an arrangement with the Red Cross Society by which the white people would be cared for and educational work also done. It seemed to him, said Mr. Simpson, that the Health Department would do

work among the Maoris whether the Hawera board provided the money asked for or not. Mr. T. A. Winks said that the social welfare officer, Mrs. Twaddle, was doing a certain amount of the work which it was suggested the proposed nurse could do. He had a great respect for the Red Cross work, but he expected it would carry on as it had before. Mr. Simpson: That’s the point; we cannot. The Health Department has withdrawn its help. Mr. Winks said that fact showed the Red Cross proposition was not warrantci TOO HEAVY FOR NURSE. Mr. Simpson said the work had broken down because it was growing too heavy for the nurse, but Mr. Bridger said the nurse was doing hospital board work and that was the trouble. Mr. A. L. Campbell emphasised the necessity for the to have complete control. Mr. Bridger said the Red Cross branches could not be expected to take the interest they otherwise would if they had no control. They were providing the car and a share of the salary. The Red Cross committee had been very concerned about the state of the work, said Mr. Simpson, and the proposal seemed suitable in every way. Mr. McKay in reply to Mr. Campbell said the expenditure was estimated at £9O for benzine and £llO for salary, in addition to which the nurse would live at the hospital nurses’ home. A point to be considered, said Dr. Caimey, was that although the nurse would be in the country during the day and lecturing at night she would be relieved of school work and examinations. She would be available for hospital work. What he was afraid of was the arrangement of dual control for one year, said. Mr. Winks. Although the expenditure was placed at approximately £2OO, he predicted that within three or four months the cost would be £4OO. Mr. Simpson: It will probably be better spent if that is so, in the country than in hospital management. Mr. Bridger’s motion was carried. The board’s representatives appointed were Messrs. McKay, Bennett and Gillanders, Messrs. Winks, Campbell and Larcom preferring not to be placed on the committee.