A 45-HOUR WEEK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20887, 17 November 1937, Page 10

A 45-HOUR WEEK

NURSES IN AUCKLAND HOSPITAL By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, November 16. An action that was described by Dr. J. P. Hastings as possibly enabling New Zealand to lead the world was taken by the Auckland Hospital Board when it approved a recommendation of the lady superintendent, Miss E. Nutsey, to reduce working hours of nurses from 48 to 45 a week. None of the three daily shifts will now exceed 7i hours. Reporting for duty after breakfast, morning nurses will work from 7 a.m. until 3.15 p.m., with threequarters of an hour free for lunch. A similar break for tea will be enjoyed by the afternoon nurses, who are to be on duty from 2.45 p.m. until 11 p.m., while half an hour free for a meal it midnight will be allowed the night nurses, who will work between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The hours for nurses on divided duty will be from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m., and from 4.30 p.m. until 6 p.m.

“This represents a very considerable improvement,” stated th” chairman, the Rev. W. C. Wood. Seven and a half hours of duty is the shortest shift in any hospital in the Dominion.” Mrs Dreaver expressed a hope that in order to balance the effect of the shorter hours steps would be taken to increase the strength of the staff. Miss Nutsey, who was complimented by the Board on her report, was instructed to report on the question of adding to the number of trainees.