KARITANE NURSES

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23246, 6 July 1945, Page 4

KARITANE NURSES

Better Utilisation Of Services

'N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON. July 5. A new scheme will shortly be introduced with a view to obtaining' better utilisation of the services of Karitane nurses. It will be administered by the district branches of the Plunket Society. In a statement to-day the Minister for Industrial Manpower (the Hon. A. McLagan, M.L.C.) said that since the inception of controls of manpower no action had been taken by his Department to restrict the activities of Karitane nurses. They had been given entire freedom to follow their profession. Complaints were continually being received by his Department and by the Plunket Society as to the inability of mothers with infants to obtain the services of Karitane nurses in cases where such assistance was urgently needed. From inquiries recently macle, said the Minister, it was evident that while many Karitane nurses regularly accepted the employment for which they had been primarily trained, others had accepted employment of fairly long duration, looking after healthy children who were past the infant stage, their engagement being more in the nature of nursemaid. The new scheme would provide for the approval of the Plunket Society to be obtained to undertake any nursing engagement, and the time would be restricted to a maximum of four weeks, except in special circumstances. Holidays aggregating six weeks a year could be taken. The Department was in process of compiling a complete register of Karitane nurses.