The Wanganui Chronicle THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1931. WANGANUI HOSPITAL STAFF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 196, 20 August 1931, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1931. WANGANUI HOSPITAL STAFF

is to be regretted that the chairman of the Wanganui Hos-

pital Board did not avail himself of the opportunity afforded him by the receipt of a communication from the Wanganui Ministers’ Association, to make plain the policy of the Hospital Board in regard to its nursing staff.

The V anganui Ministers’ Association is an important and an influential body. It comprises some very able men, of ripe experience and sound judgment. The association is not given to joining in controversy: it acts with commendable ealm. The Ministers’ Association protest, therefore, must not be treated lightly. The chairman of the Hospital Board should, if only out of deference to the Ministers’ Association, make a full review of the situation.

It is hard to understand how the present conditions came into being. At the last meeting of the Hospital Board prior to the recent elections. Dr Adams moved to the effect that the quota of nurses for general nursing should be at the rate of one general nurse for 2.5 beds. This ratio was to apply to general duty nurses, and did not take into consideration the seven or eight special-duty nurses. This motion was carried. At the time the whole hospital was in operation, and to provide the ratio of one nurse to 2.5 beds 64 general nurses were required. The general nursing staff, it is understood, then was 59 general

Since Dr. Adams’ motion was carried one ward has been closed, with the consequential result that the one nurse to 2.5 bed ratio should be more easily established. Mr Coleman is quite right in expressing the belief that "the Hospital Board had the eo-operation of the whole of the Wanganui district,” but the board should be careful not to lose that co-operation. The protest of the Ministers’ Association was not properly dealt with, and unless it is so dealt with, a most desirable co-operative element stands in jeopardy of being impaired.