THE DUTIES OF NURSES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17567, 18 June 1925, Page 8

THE DUTIES OF NURSES.

Modern hospitals ow e not a little of their efficiency to high standards of nursing service, and it is plainly of vital concern to the community that these standards should be maintained. They can only be maintained by attracting into tbo service girls and women of the best type, and this evidently implies amongst other things that in the working routine of hospitals nurses should bo treated with all the consideration that is consistent with the inevitably arduous and exacting nature of their work. Beariug these obvious truths in mind, there should ho neither difficulty nor hesitation in answering questions raised by the New Zealand Herald ” with regard to the duties that nurses in the public hospitals may be asked to perform. ‘'Should young girls in training at our general hospitals be required,” the northern newspaper asks, “ to wash and clean up drunken, verminous old men? Should they be allowed to have anything to do with delirium tremens cases, or with male patients suffering from venereal disease?” These facts appear to indicate that unpleasant cases such ns girl probationers and junior nurses are expected to deal with in some New Zealand hospitals are commonly provided for in England in special institutions staffed solely by men. The same impression is conveyed in observations by the matron of the Auckland Hospital, who received her training in England. "Whatever the practice may bn abroad, the rule certainly should he established in New Zealand that no nurse is to be asked to undertake duties that are fairly described as of n revolting character. —” Dominion.” Wellington.