AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10536, 10 August 1912, Page 8

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

NURSES' CONFIDENTIAL REGISTER. REPLY TO DR PABST. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, August 10. The late lady superintendent of the 'Auckland Hospital writes: " My attention has been drawn to an article consisting of a report by the chairman of the Medical Committee, Dr Pabst, that letters reflecting upon the sisters at the Hospital had been inserted in the confidential nurses* register, and that the said entries had been made or mat- ' ters which had occurred since the late : lady superintendent left the employ of ' the Board. As a distinct reflection is cast upon my reputation, I trust you will permit me to place the actual facts with equal publicity before your readers. A few particulars concerning the said register prove both Interesting and enlightening. # lo begin with, the nurses' register is a confidential report, kept in accordance with by-law 145 by the lady superintendent, containing a record of the. - conduct and the qualifications of every nurse on dutv in the institution, and 1 ■ challenge Dr Pabst nublicly to produce tie. by-law which empowers him to review these records monthly. It is just another instance of the assumption of power which he is not entitled ■ t'o under the by-law, and I am tounded that the Board would allow ■' Dr Pabst or . anyone else to; make public, information obtained from the confidential register, which should be private and confidential for members of the Board onlv. If this is allowed any responsible officer will in future _refuse '-to mate entries giving authentic con'fidential data respecting matters happening in the institution. The register is 'merely a statement of facts made from my own observation re- ■ corded-at the time they occurred, of events which have happened during my term of office. There are no incidents '.recorded which happened since I re- ' signed my position and-left the employ ' of' the Board. At a meeting of the "■ Board, held on June 25, a resobtimi was carried requesting me to allot ' onarks and forward a report to the '. Board of the general conduct of the ' "nurses in training during my term of - bffice. I could not be expected to /commie from memorv a detailed re- . port!' of the year's conduct of the nurses 'in training," some eic'ity in number, and thus to enable me to compile this . report it was nece=.«ary to make extracts from the confidential register A report on the sisters was not asked for."