Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1885. The Hospital Nurses.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1724, 24 August 1885, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1885. The Hospital Nurses.

The sensation story of tbe day in Wellington, is that of “ The Hospital Nurses.” The outraged feelings and sensibilities of these ten blooming damsels, with their coquettish white caps, and three feet long cambric streamers ; their pretty faces and figures ; their neat black dresses, and their “ killing ” get up generally, have lately exercised the minds of the Premier, the Colonial Secretary, and all the members, young and old, of both Houses of Parliament. The woes and tribulations of the nurses have formed the subject of a solemn debate in “ the Lords.” The same topic has set the Government and the Opposition by the ears in the House of Representatives, and finally, a select committee composed of the leading members of that body, has been appointed to investigate the whole c i rcu "‘Stances connected with the dismissal ox * hoßc . hospital nurses. But our readers will ™ nt to know how all this trouble a..” 8 le Jj au ’ and wo will, therefore, in brief tei." 18 ’ try to tell them all about it. It has long been known that the Wellington Hospital, under the regime of Dr Chilton, has been a badly managed institution. Some patients who got into the hospital so disliked the system and treatment, that they left the institution the moment they were able to move out of it. Then other patients sent strong complaints to the Government of the treatment which they had received in the hospital. It seems that Dr Chilton is alleged to have been overbearing and rude in his demeanour towards the patients, who consequently did not like him. Besides, the staff of honorary surgeons who visited the hospital made frequent complaints against Dr Chil ton. Things came to a crisis at last, so Mr Buckley, the Colonial Secre. tary, sent for Dr Chilton and gave him the option of either having a public enquiry held into his administration of the hospital, or of voluntarily resigning his position. Dr Chilton did not accept either alternative, so the Colonial Secretary dismissed him from his post. Then the row began. The nurses, who had pretty much their own way under Dr Chilton’s regime, took up the cause of their chief, and in a very insubordinate letter addressed to the Colonial Secretary, protested against Dr Chilton's dismissal, and requested that an enquiry should be held. They at the same time stated that they were dissatisfied with the matron, and “ that she had lost their confidence.” Of course this proceeding on the part of the nurses was grossly insubordinate and entirely subversive of all discipline in the hospital. Tne Colonial Secretary accordingly ordered the immediate dismissal of the nurses, having first consulted with Dr Grabham, tbe Inspector of Hospitals, and the Hon Randall Johnson, the Chairman of the Hospital Committee. Mr Randall Johnson was entrusted with the task of carrying out the dismissal of the nurses, and it would seem that he is responsible for the girls being compelled to leave the institution at 7 o’clock at night, some of them not knowing where to go. In his statement on the subject in the Legislative Council, Mr Johnson said that ho went to the hospital at tl p m., saw Dr Levinge and told him that the nurses were io be dismissed. Mr Johnson prevaricated a good deal as to whether he had ordered the dismissal to take 1 place that night, but was piuned down :

to the actual facts by the faon Captain Fraser who spoke as follows : Captain Fraser said he had visited the Hospital and had seen the letter written by Mr Johnson to Ilr Levinge, and it stated that the nursea were to be dismissed at once. Dr Levmge told him (Captain Fraser) that he asked Mr Johnson whether the nurses were to be dismissed that night and he said, “Yes; to-night.” It was six o’clock in the evening when Mr John son drove up to the Hospital, and he (Captain Fraser) did not wish the Medical Officer to be made a scapegoat of. Mr Johnson said he could not remember whether he said “JTes, to ■ night.” He might or he might not have said so. It is pretty clear from all this that the Hon Randall Johnson is responsible for the nurses having been turned out of the hospital at 7 o’clock on a winter’s night, but, after all, there was little real harm done as by the Premier’s order the nurses were readmitted to the Hospital and allowed to remain for the night. All the same, it was a cruel thing to turn those girls out of the hospital at such an hour on a winter’s night, more especially as most of them did not know where to seek shelter, The Hon Randall Johnson is the man responsible for this cruel proceeding, and must deservedly bear all the ignominy which attaches to it. But while protesting against the manner of the nurses’ dismissal, we at the same time think that the dismissal itself was just and necessary. It is utterly absurd that the subordinates and servants in a public institution should dictate to the Govern • meut what course should be adopted with respect to the dismissal of the Resident Medical Officer. Would the proprietor of a large mercantile establishment, who had dismissed his manager, allow the junior clerks and porters to protest auainst his action and demand an enquiry into the circumstances. Then it was certainly a piece of impudence on the part of the nurses to declare “that they had lost confidence in the matron,” when they did snot make a single specific charge against that lady. In truth, it is just as well that a nearly complete clearance has been made of the hospital staff. Dr Chilton’s adminis* tration of the hospital was by no means a good one, while the nurses appear to have had so much of their own way that they altogether forgot what was their proper position as subordinates. Now that Dr Chilton and his feminine following have been got rid of, the Government will be afforded an opportunity of re-or-ganising the whole hospital staff and its administration. The first step towards carrying this out will be to select a competent professional man of approved character and ability as head of that institution.