H.—3l

Maternity Nurses. Registered Nurses. 1932. 1933. 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. 1938. 1939. 1940. Number sitting .. 152 158 170 190 195 201 218 216 241 Number passed .. 143 148 108 180 189 193 207 212 232 Unregistered Nurses. 1932. 1933. 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. 1938. 1939. 1940. Number sitting .. 35 43 33 34 43 36 46 43 48 Number passed .. 30 35 30 33 37 30 44 40 44 Midwives. Registered Maternity Nurses who are also Registered Nurses. 1932. 1933. 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. 1938. 1939. 1940. Number sitting .. 45 48 53 57 58 55 54 49 48 Number passed .. 39 44 47 53 56 54 52 49 48 Registered Maternity Nurses who are not Registered Nurses. 1932. 1933. 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. 1938. 1939. 1940. Number sitting .. 14 14 18 14 9 19 11 17 16 Number passed .. 11 12 13 13 7 17 10 15 12 Post-graduate Course. Two meetings of the Committee were held during the year. Twenty-one students completed the course ; six undertook the work independently ; fifteen had bursaries —viz., five Department of Health, one Plunket Society, and nine Hospital Boards. Of these, three took the course in medical social work, seven in public-health nursing, and eleven in hospital and nursing-school administration. Since the passing of the social security legislation, the social significance of illness and disease has received more emphasis, and it is necessary for nurses wishing to take up social-work positions to receive special preparation. It is also important for nurses, especially those in senior and administrative positions, to be more conversant not only with legislative procedures, but with the social implications of illness. To this end a third course was introduced in 1940 in medical social work, three students successfully completing it, and at the same time additional instruction in social work and social legislation was made available to all of the students. As the need for trained medical social workers on hospital staffs becomes essential, Hospital Boards are asked to keep this special course in mind when granting bursaries. Students should also be selected to take the public-health-nursing, course where Hospital Boards require staff for district nursing services, tuberculosis annexes or sanatoria, and out-patients departments. Opportunity for more intensive practical and observation work was made possible by extending the course to seven months. A period of five weeks is now spent in various fields, and the. value of this additional experience cannot be overestimated. It is gratifying to bo assured of co-operation by social agencies, public-health nurses, and hospitals in this aspect of the work, as only by this means is success possible. District Nurses. The number of district nurses employed by the Department is ninety-two. Various aspects of the nurses' work have been extended this year. Diphtheria immunization has been increased, and additional responsibility in tuberculosis follow-up work has been assumed by the nurse. The results received so far are encouraging and promise well for the future. Several conferences of district nurses have been held. They have proved an excellent method of staff, education and can be used to advantage in maintaining uniform practices throughout the service. Nursing Education. In conjunction with the Nursing Education Committee of the Registered Nurses' Association, a study was made of the preparation of surgical dressings for wards and operating-theatres in general and obstetric hospitals and of ward technique in obstetric hospitals. Questionnaires were circulated and results summarized. The result of " preparation of ward dressings " was completed, submitted to medical opinion, and circulated to hospitals. The results of the other studies will be completed early this year. The same Committee also arranged for a nursing case study to be the subject for competition by pupil-nurses, and " The Nursing of a Patient suffering from Chronic Heart-disease " was selected. This was the means of increasing the appreciation of such a method of learning in the nursing-schools. Tuberculosis. It was felt that nurses engaged in tuberculosis work required further knowledge on the adYances which have been made in this important branch of medicine and nursing, particularly in respect of the technique essential to prevent spread of infection to other patients and to staff. In view of this the Department arranged for a refresher course in tuberculosis nursing, which was held in November and extended over four days and a half (including three evening sessions). The keen interest shown was evident by the attendance of seventy, which included medical men and women.

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