NURSES SALARIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 266, 13 November 1935, Page 3

NURSES SALARIES

i 'INCREASED BY PATEA BOARD e t DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING NURSES. 1 (Our Own Correspondent.) PATEA, Nov. 12. * Salaries of the trained nurses of the Patea Public Hospital were raised . at the monthly meeting of the Patea .(Hospital Board today, xMr. C. R. : • Honeyfield presiding. This decision was made following the ■ | reading the report of the matron I (Miss A. Harris) who stated that dit- • lieulty was being experienced in get- ( ; ting trained nurses to come at £75 per ! annum. This salary was considered 1 far too small, especially in a hospital , this size where very little e.xperien< e was gained to compensate for the reduced salary. The secretary (Mr. W. F. Sheild) stated that the new arrangement specified by the regrading of the hospital as a training ground tor nurses, was costing the board over £lOO a year extra expense. They were trying all over New Zealand for three trained nurses, at the present moment, stated the chairman, but they would not come fur the sal- ' ary. This position arose from the state- 1 ment made that too many nurses were ! being trained, and training hospitals had been reduced in number, Patea ba I ing one of those losing its status as a J training ground. Now the Parea ! Hospital could not get the require 1' number of trained nurses although ?t I was a popular hospital for nurses. It I remained for the board to raise the salary offered. Accordingly the meeting agreed to ! I increase the salaries of the four 1 i trained nurses on the staff to £B5 a year, to date from November .1. iMatron Harris further reported that Nurses Langman and Robertson had resigned owing to illness in their respective families. Nurse Langman being replaced eight days later by Miss Pauline Winks. Nurse Robertson left on November 11 and was being replaced by Miss Joan Illingworth. Sister Drayton was on annual leave prior to taking midwifery training in Wellngton in December. The report was adopted, the chairman stating that Nurse !M. McKee, a former trainee of the hospital, would be returning as one of the trained nurses. Lack of uniformity in the terms of agreements between hospital boards and friendly societies was the basis of a circular letter received from the Director-General of Health (IDr. M. 11. Watt). He stated that in some agreements provisions were made which went beyond the intention of the section of Hospitals Act 1926. Two specimen agreements were enclosed, one dealing with those cases where an annual contribution per member was payable in quarterly payments, and the other dealing with cases where a. proportion of the usual scale of charges was paid. The secretary (Mr. W. F. Sheild) pointed out that there was a Taranaki Friendly Societies’ Association of which Patea was not a member. In Patea the different lodges had separate arrangements with the board. j After discussion on the question, it was left in the hands of the chairman I and secretary to go into. Approval of the board's overdraft ' not exceeding £750 was received, by the Health Department. * -

T.B. Bacilli in Milk. Following a discussion at a recent meeting oi the Patea branch of the Plunket Society on the alarming in- ) crease of bovine tuberculosis, a request was received from the branch asking that a preventive measure be taken by the board by testing, for tuberculosis bacilli herds which supply milk to the hospital. The board agreed»to accede to the request and it was decided to ask suppliers of milk to the hospital tu have peach cow in their herds inspected by j a veterinary surgeon and obtain a eeiA tilicate that the herd was free num tuberculosis. Mr. J. O. Cunningham, Paliai , borough engineer, waited on 'ie board 1 I in connection with electric water supply in the maternity annex-’. After (discussing the mallei with him, tne r I board asked him to draw up speuiheajitions for the conversion of the electric • heater pipes to copper, and that quota ? tions be obtained fur the work. ' | Several letters aealing vvi‘l. payment iof charges’for treatment to rusidenl- , -of the board's district were receive] from other hospital oca.rds. in u-r.ne ol . the cases the length •_>! residcn-:e ePhei . in their dist ricts or the Pat*‘a distm t being doubtful. * Continued difficulty with the win i clows of the Nurses’ Home cuas’ra:r.°*i •' , tht board to undertake some a te'alio'j : to the make of the sashes and ia.-.t i. i ings, and the board's a<c‘iite is J Messrs Duftill and Gibson, are to di. \> ,1 up estimates for the work. | The medical superintendeu*- (Dr. W. IT. Simmons) reported that the nuu.i.ii ’of patients had decreased ti>* imonth of October. At the beginning |of the month there were 31 patici i.-. pvhile 28 (16 male 12 female) bau I been admittj!. < P‘ these 32 (13 ma le. 19 female) had been discharged, kav ling 27 (11 male, 16 female) pi'i.nts iu ' ’hospital at the beginning of Novem r/r. Ante-natal Treatment. Following a visit of inspection of the , hospital, Dr. Paget, Inspector of I’ri vate Hospitals, submitted a rej'ort on the new maternity annexe. Several matters required attent on, while instressed the need for extending antenatal* work. He reported that he had 1 discussed the question with Dr. Sim , mons and the matron. At present no ante natal charts were used and .cry little ante-natal work was being dune. Everything possible should be done tu ' encourtge the attendance of patients for ante-natal examinations. No maternity hospital could be regarded ' as giving of its best if ante-natal work i was not done. This is one of the most ! outstanding wants in connection with maternal welfare in New Zealand and 'Dr. Paget hoped that every effort would be made to promote it. Beside.' the provision of the necessary furni- ! turn and the sphygmomanometer for : doing the ante-natal work, Dr. Paget I advised that the ante-natal charts be : obtained. If these matters were al- i tended to, Patea could consider that ii ' had a maternity block in every wav I sufficient for the district. A discussion ensued and the matter ; was referred to the medical superintendent.