International Congress of Nurses

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume II, Issue 4, 1 October 1909, Page 131

International Congress of Nurses

The International Congress of Nurses began on the day after the Council meeting, and continued for three days. It is impossible in our limited space to give a full account of the proceedings, but we recommend all nurses interested in the progress of their profession to obtain the " British Journals of Nursing " for July, and read all that is given there. It must suffice us to mention the large subjects of world-wide interest discussed by the distinguished women of our profession assembled there.

The first subject was " The International Standard of Nursing Education." This paper was read by Mrs. Hampton Robb, of the American Federation of Nurses. She spoke of the lack of a " common nursing language," saying : il I mean by this that the methods and the ways of regarding nursing problems were in many respects, as foreign to the various delegates as were the actual languages and the thought occurred to me that if we ever hoped to gain any marked definite good and advancement from these international gatherings ; if we hoped ever to actually

realise the aims of the International Council, one of which is ' to confer upon questions relating to the welfare of their patients.' ' She considered that some universal language and methods of nursing practice should be worked out from an international standpoint. After this, delegates from various countries gave accounts of the nursing system under which they worked. This led to much interesting discussion. In the afternoon of 20th July the chief subject of discussion was : " The Nurse in Private Practice. ' ' And it was taken from the doctors' standpoint by Mr. D'Arcy Power ; from the patients' view, by Mine. Alphen Salvador, from Paris, and from the nurses' view by Miss Beatrice Kent. Mr D'Arcy Power urged that it is unnecessary to introduce the routine of hospital life into private homes, and although rules are necessary in the sick room, they should be elastic, and not tyrranical. He thought that nurses who are to undertake private work should have some period of probation after finishing their hospital course. Many nurses pass straight from the schoolroom to the hospital, and have no worldly experience at all. After some useful hints about the relations of the private nurse to the doctor, and to herself and her profession generally, he urged nurses to avoid the everpresent temptation of becoming so absorbed in nursing as to have no interests outside it. A private nurse should remember that her patient is not always actually ill, and that an educated convalescent required the nurse to be conversant with the topics of the day, and capable of discussing them from a reasonable standpoint. Mrs. Bedford Fenwick claimed for private nursing, that it is one of the highest branches of nursing. To be a private nurse you haVe to be an exceedingly clever woman ; you want to be able to go into a house or houses in every sort of position ; different temperaments to deal with ; all sorts of different classes of people, and you must be the master mind. You have to manage everyone. Some people call that tact : I call it the highest form of intelligence, and more than that, it shows a very wide and sympathetic nature. No person manages human beings well who does not love them, understand them, and sympathise with them. [The question of proper remuneration for private nurses was touched upon ; but in New Zealand nurses have no cause to complain in this respect.] The next question touched upon was " School Nursing." Of that we know little

but it is a subject bound to come before us ere long. A paper was read by Madame Jacques, Surveillante Generale of the Salpetriere Nursing School speaking of the beginning made in Paris of placing nurses to work in the schools. This work is already well established in England and America. There are 200 school nurses in New York alone. THE CARE OF THE DEAD. A short but interesting session was held, when an address was given by a clergyman on the care of the body after death. This is a subject which has been much thought of recently, and truly some alteration is needed in the present methods practiced in most hospitals. On 21st July the first session was : " The Nurse as Citizen," when Lady Helen Munro Ferguson presided, and gave a most interesting address. We shall not attempt to transcribe any part of this large subject. It has been partly treated in the article by Mrs. L,eo Meyers published in this issue. Miss Nutting, the joint authoress of that delightful book, " The History of Nursing," sent a paper on " The Preparation for Institutional Nursing." This is one of the subjects which we hope to have discussed when we have our matrons' conference. ' The Nurse Among the Poor/' was the next subject, and an admirable paper on this subject was presented by Mile. Chaptal, Directrice de la Maison Ecole des Infirmeres Privees, Paris. Work among the poor might, she said, be divided into several sections : (a) Hygiene, pure and simple, with prophylaxis (b) helps to the poor, mothers and infants, tubercular patients, etc., through dispensary work ; (c) district nursing in the homes of the poor. However great the zeal of the nurse to be of use, she will be compelled to take up one of these branches only. Though prevention is better than cure, prevention cannot accomplish everything, and therefore assistance must help and almost always follow, in every kind of useful and effective work among the poor. Mile. Chaptal gave interesting details as to what had been accomplished in Paris slums. Social work in Germany was then described. A paper on floating hospitals was read by Miss Delano. There is a complete hospital equipment on a boat by the St. John's Guild, of New York, on which mothers and babies are taken for the day during the hot summer months, and it is believed that

the reduction of infant mortality is largely due to this scheme. Miss Delano also read a paper on " The Factory Nurse." A trained nurse is employed by a large firm to take charge of the factory dispensary, and to be consulted by the employees, and to care for any member of an employee's family, in the course of which duty she could investigate the homes of the employees, and gain a valuable knowledge of their needs. f The possibilities of such a position are limited only by the ability of the person holding it. To one interested in the general social uplift, the position it seems to me, must be ideal." A great question was then brought before the meeting by Mrs. Bedford Fenwick on, " Nursing in Prisons." She would like to plead for more interest in the question. She thought that nurses had two great heroines : Of course Florence Nightingale came first, but Mrs. Elizabeth Fry made a good second. Briefly, Mrs. Bedford Fenwick considers that the time has come when all prison warders and wardresses should have a certain amount of special training for their duties. This training was as necessary as for probationers in hospitals. She urged the appointment of trained nurses as matrons. Then probationers could be trained in the prisons in nursing, sanitation, hygiene, and their training including instruction in mental diseases, and the care of mental patients and criminals. It wbuld be a very special work and splendid work, and one that opened up a new field of tremendous importance for women. She believed in Scotland a beginning had been made. What was now wanted was that volunteers should come forward to take an interest in the work, and express their readiness to follow the teachings of Elizabeth Fry just as they had done those of Florence Nightingale. Miss E. S. Haldane, I V X.D., said that the Prisons Commissioners in Scotland had appointed a trained nurse, a lady, to be the head of one of the principal women's prisons. SOCIAL SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH HOSPITALS. This, briefly, is the following up of the patient on leaving hospital ; getting them into convalescent hospitals ; arranging for the care of children while their parents are in hospital ; procuring suitable work for convalescents, and in endless ways acting as helpers and advisers, and probably with many, preventing a speedy return to hospital. Miss L. L. Dock said that with regard to the new branches of nursing now being opened up, she hoped the elder nurses would make them known to the younger ones so that they might prepare themselves for the social work. In the settlement where she lived, she received daily and weekly,

dozens, and even hundreds of letters asking for nurses who would take up positions on these lines ; yet seven-tenths of these applications had to be refused because there were no nurses available who had prepared themselves for this class of work. New calls were coming every day. She thought that the reason why nurses could not take these positions was because they had allowed themselves to get into a rut, and that all these positions called for flexible minds ; for a good outfit of social knowledge, and for planning and organising ability. The applicants for nurses would constantly say : ' We do not ourselves know just how this work had best be conducted. We want a woman who will be able to tell us what to do, and to plan it out." She did not hesitate to prophesy that in 25 years' time more nurses would be engaged on preventive and social work than in private nursing, and she wanted to urge upon them all to prepare themselves for new developments. Miss Snively urged the preparation of the heart. She did not wish in any way to undervalue the necessary professional education, but she felt that if there were the true preparation of the heart also, there would not be such a lack of workers as had been the case during the last few years. Many other questions of great interest, such as mission work, massage, and other branches, were discussed during this meeting, and one important subject was brought before the nurses in Mr. Haldane's address : " The Nurse as Patriot," of which we copy a brief abstract from the " Daily Mail." NURSES AvS PATRIOTS. " Mr. Haldane, in a speech recently at the Nurses' Congress, at Church House, Westminster, paid a tribute to the nurse as patriot, owing to the part she is taking in the organisation of the Territorial Army. 1 ' One of the most important elements which had to be provided for in connection with the Territorial Force, said Mr. Haldane, was the care of the sick and wounded, not merely on grounds of humanity, though those were the highest, but also on the further ground that no army was efficient which did not make provision for the treatment of its sick and wounded with a view to their restoration to the fighting ranks as quickly as possible. For that purpose they were wanting the co-operation of skilled women. The skill of scientific, trained women was an integral part of the organisation. The work of women in home defence was very valuable. No army was organised without that element, and the authorities were seeking to supply it in their arrangements for home defence on a larger and more comprehensive scale than had ever been done before in the history of any nation. The women were coming

forward splendidly, and he was looking forward to great results from the far-reaching invitation which had been extended to them. The War Office was deeply cognisant of the work for the State which women were doing as nurses." Not all the time was taken up in serious work, but some pleasant and important social functions were arranged. One, a banquet, held in the Gaiety Restaurant, was very brilliant. All the residents, and official delegates of the affiliated national councils, together with 300 guests, being present. Lord Ampthill, G.C.S.L, G.C.I.G. presided, and made a speech in proposing the first toast of the evening, " The King," mentioning what interest the King had often shown in the work of nurses. Last year, at the opening of the new offices of the Royal National Pension Fund for Nurses, the King said : " It has now happily long been recognised that in the alleviation of pain and sickness good nursing is of supreme importance, and that it is in the interests of the community that measures should be taken to obtain skilled and efficient nurses in increased numbers, and to procure for them such advantages and prospects as will retain them in their profession." Several other good speeches were made in response to the toasts. To I^ord Ampthill's among others one by M. Andre Mesureur, the son of the man who has taken in hand the reform of nursing in France, and the head of the " Assistance Publique/' that is, the Health Department of Paris. He said those present would understand the regret of his father when he found it impossible to be present. To-day the bonds of friendship between the Assistance Publique and Great Britain were drawn closer, because pupils from its nursing school were now obtaining an insight into English methods at St. Bartholomew's Hospital under Miss Isla Stewart. It was not without anxiety that the administration saw its pupils leave the Salpetriere, but they had the comfort of knowing that they were amongst friends in a foreign country. [There are now six pupils at St. Bartholomew's from the Salpetriere], He presented to Miss Isla Stewart, and to the Sub-Matron of St. Bartholomew's, the silver medal of the Assistance Publique of Paris. Miss Stewart, in proposing the health of the chairman said that she need not recapitulate the great positions which Lord Ainpthill had held, in-

eluding those of Governor of Madras, and for a time, Viceroy of India. He had rowed in the Eton and Oxford University eights, and was a thorough sportsman, which meant that he loved justice and fair-play. And when last year he found a group of professional women in sore straits, after due consideration he espoused their cause, and carried the Nurses' Registration Bill triumphantly through the House of I^ords without a division. British nurses were grateful to Lord Ampthill for all he had done for them, and were looking to him to do more. With Lord Ampthill as their champion, and Mrs. Bedford Fenwick as second-in-command, the movement for State Registration must ultimately be crowned with success. Another most interesting occasion was that on which, the nurses, by invitation of His Majesty the King, visited Windsor Castle. The Canadian nurses were accorded the great privilege of laying a wreath on the tomb of the late Queen Victoria, at Frogmore. The wreath was a very beautiful one, the foundation of gorgeous purple stock, fringed with lilies of the valley, decorated with the choicest blooms of deep cattleyas (mauve) orchids, lilies of the valley, stephanotis, purple iris, and Canadian maple leaf. The combination was exquisite. The inscription on the very handsome satin ribbon was painted in gold. When the Canadian nurses arrived at the mausoleum they were received by an official, and Miss Snively reverently placed the wreath at the foot of the exquisite marble tomb, on which the effigies of the late Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort — in lifelike replica — lie side by side in sculptured robes of state. The fifteen Canadian nurses having surrounded the tomb, Miss Snively said :— " By the permission of His Most Gracious Majesty, King Edward the Seventh, it is our exalted privilege this afternoon, reverently to stand beside the tomb of the greatest of English monarchs, Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Empress of India. As loyal British subjects we recall with pride and satisfaction the grandeur and power of her kingdom, and the wonderful wisdom and progress which characterised her reign over many races and peoples ; but above all these we delight to remember the womanly gentleness of her character, and that every effort for the alleviation of human suffering found a ready response in her sympathetic nature. ' These qualities have for ever enthroned Queen Victoria in the hearts of her subjects, not only in England, but in her Dominions across the seas. " In the name, therefore, of the Canadian National Association of Trained Nurses, and as their representative, I most loyally and reverently place this tribute of heartfelt homage and undying devotion from the nurses of the Dominion of Canada, on the tomb of our late beloved Sovereign, Queen Victoria." Before leaving Windsor a telegram was sent to the [Lord Chamberlain conveying

the loyal gratitude of the Canadian National Association of Trained Nurses for the honourable privilege granted to its members by His Majesty the King. — " British Journal of Nursing." There is much more in all the morning papers about these great four days, and the various functions held, but space forbids more at present. In future issues we hope to give a few notes about the prominent personalities in the nursing world, with whose names it is well for all interested in our profession and its progress to be familiar. These noteswill be gleaned from the "British Journal of Nursing," which has of late been giving such particulars about many interesting women. We shall also hope to give something about the Nursing Exhibition, held at the Caxton Hall in connection with the Congress. New Zealand Representatives Miss Palmer, of Wellington, attended the Congress to represent the Wellington branch of the N.Z.T.N. Association. It had been desired that a delegate should be formally sent from the amalgamated Association, but owing to the delays in final arrangements for affiliation, we were not able to accomplish this. Miss Maude, of Christchurch, should also have represented the Christchurch branch, but although we are glad to say she was present at the Congress, she had not been officially directed to do so. Our great distance from the centre of things and the youth of our Association may plead our excuse ; but let us not be behind next time. Some extracts from a letter from Miss Palmer will be of interest : — " The Congress is now a thing of the past, and a most successful week it was. There were some grand papers read. I wish more of the N.Z. nurses in London had attended the sessions. I only met Miss Maude and Miss Thomas the whole time. It was a grand opportunity of meeting nurses from all different parts of the globe. Really, we had a splendid time, and met with kindness and hospitality at every turn from our sister nurses here in good old England. I could not help wishing that New Zealand might have been among the newly-affiliated. The affiliation ceremony was very impressive ; Holland, Finland, Denmark and Canada being admitted. You would have been greatly impressed had you seen the great gatherings in the Hall

each day. Such splendid types of women present, all showing such keen interest in the clever papers and the discussions which arose out of them. 1 ' I have not yet heard whether New Zealand's chief centres have affiliated. Did you send papers with information ? If so, they did not reach me. [There were papers sent hoping to be received in time, as soon as the four branch Councils had agreed to affiliate. — Ed.] " Nothing was expected from New Zealand, which came in late, when the programme was full, but being a ' fraternal delegate,' I was privileged to participate in everything. I do hope that our country will be ready to supply a delegate for 1912, when Congress meets at Cologne, and that by then all will be straightened out, and affiliation made possible with the ' International.' " In a letter received from an Australian nurse reference is made with great admiration to the interesting speeches' of the foreign nurses, and the wonderful way they were delivered in English. Letter from Miss Dock THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF NURSES. LSI Oxford Street, London W. 15th Aug., 1909. Dear Miss Maclean, You will make known to all the New Zealand nurses, will you not, how very great was the gratification and pleasure afforded the members of the International Council by the sending of the fraternal delegates, Miss Maude and Miss Palmer ? We were delighted to meet and have them with us, and now that your national association .is about formed, I hope that at the next meeting in Cologne, :n 1912, New Zealand will enter as a full member. Will you not put this at one of your coming meetings ? You will see by the report, when it reaches you, that we have reduced fees and not numbers of delegates, and as you always have members travelling, we hope always to see some of you at future meetings ; and then another excellent reason for wishing you to come into membership is that I want very much to get to New Zealand some day T ? and see no prospect of it unless we should have an International Council meeting there. — Believe me, with cordial regards, yours sincerely ; L. L. Dock.