FEMALE NURSING IN HOSPITALS.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4819, 16 April 1890, Page 3

FEMALE NURSING IN HOSPITALS.

Homo time ago tho l)unodin Ho?pita\ Trustees sent circulars to modieal men throughout tho colony inviting them to give their opinions with regard to tho question of female nursing in hospitals. Out of tho twonty-nino replies received, twenty-six doctors expressed thamnolveii as in favour of femalo nuraos, and three werq opposed to them. Slghlcsn vroro in favour of male attendants for nursing venereal and delirium Iremcns cases or casoa of temporary mania, and four or fivo, in addition to the three wljj wera oppoaod to female nursing, thought that a, properly organised Byotora of male nursing, as in the army, might bo equally as efficient us fomalo nursing. Out of ton replies received from hospitals, all were in favour of female nursinc. All the large hospitals laid great strcas on tho neoeasity of employing matrons or lady superintendents who wore thoroughly qualified to supervise the nuroins arrangements, os woll us to instruct nurses in their -work. No complaints had beon recoivod from tho patients with rogard to fomalo nursing, so far 89 the hoßDitnl authorities were aware.

EJDr 'Graco, of Wellington, wrote :— " If malo attendants, as in ITer Majesty's army, can be kept tidy enough in their porsonoand under BufQciout discipline thoy do well enough. My experience of colonial male nurses is that they are for the moat part brokon-down, sickly, disappointed men, who loathe neatness and order. One or two competent mnlo dreasors might bo required. In tlio Duncdiu Hospital modical atudonts oould take tho placo of malo drO3Bor3, Whon men aro sick there is no Bervico too dogradod for good' women to perform — that i* humanity ennobles nil BOrviee to Buffering men. Tho difficulty is not to procuro female nureos willing to care for m?n Buffering from the vilest of diseases. Tho difficulty is to procuro femjilo nurses willing to wniton the profligrito of tboir own box. Women aro not infrequently hnrsh to their sick eislorg, wilful und unjust. Tlioro nro women ovon bitterly oruol to their fallen sißtors, particularly if they aro good looking. Fi'malo nurßes rcquiro to bo subjected to a rigid discipline. 'I hey aro usually clover nt dissembling, nnd nothing short of the most untiring scrutiny koops them up to a consoiontioua performance of their duties."

Dr Stonhouso wrots: -" Personally I prefer mala nuraea for mnlo patients ; nnil I aecortained frequently, as soon as tho question was mooted, th it male patients in tho hospital proforrod male attondunts. 'Iho substitution of fomnlo nuraoß for nialo wns purely sentimental, und aro<o from tho Nichtingnlo opisodo in tho Crimean War. I think it would bo most dcsirablo to hnro nuilo attendants in thoso OA3C3 (vonoreal) at least. I found when loot at Homo that in ovory hoapitul thoro woro grnvo oompltiints as to tho difliculty of manuging a largo naff of troznon Uirongh jonlowy, backbiting, and q(;hcr femnlo virtues. Tliero was also a distinot tendency I o return to tho 'male nursing, as I proved to tho Triißtcos tu a former oconsion."

I'r Bfttohelor wroto :— " Inm nti'onulj of opinion that tho entiro miMing of Iho Dunedin Honpitil nhould bo conducted on tho same lines or in nlmoet nil tho modern )iobpitfth — viz , by fom«lo nurses und u quaiifled matron. . . . 'iho abstract qucxtion of

tho rolativo advantages of nialo nml fornaio nursing has boon often discussed. It li pcnoiblo — given a suitablo claeß of tho mole population, to draw from, owl a total disrogaril for monetary considerations — mnlo nursing might bo as thorough and efflciant as fcmnlo. In the Dunedin Hospital buoli conditions do not obtnin. It in extremely doubtful if a oullloiout number of oetivo, on« orgotio, intolligont, well odiioutod young men, willing to dovolo their lives to milling, could bo obtnined in tho colony, and if obtained thoy iTould ccrlijiDly command n high salary. Kvim tlion it in unroaoonnblo to imagine Hint two jsuch mnln nursen could undertake mom actual miming than three feumien ; whoicui Iho et< pe;i»o of ono suuli nurso would jirobubly bu greater (l)iii three fomuln nurses."