ILLITERATE NURSES.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1280, 12 August 1922, Page 5

ILLITERATE NURSES.

EXAMINER'S COMPLAINT,

In connection with the last State examination and others held during the past two or three years it has been brought to the notice of the Dir-ector-General of Health by the examiners that the paoers of the candidates show in many cases a great lack of general education. The matter was brought to the notice of the Waikato Hospital Board on Thursday by Dr T. H. A. Valentine, who stated that one examiner at the June examination said “one could not help being struck with exceptionally illiterate and ungrammatical style of most of the candidates.” Some improvement, the writer continued, was necessary if the high standard which the nursing profession at present ' held in New Zealand was to 'be maintained. The Director-General said he would impress upon the responsible officers of boards the necessity of demanding a sixth standard qualification; the necessity of ascertaining during probationership the general knowledge of the pupil, as well as her practical work; the advisability of weeding out during the period of probation such applicants as were not likely to reflect credit on the training school either on account of illiteracy or their personal characteristics. The communication was referred to the medical superintendent.