New Sphere for Nurses

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume IV, Issue 1, 1 January 1911, Page 36

New Sphere for Nurses

The reports of the medical officers of health from all parts of Great Britain abundantly acknowledge the services of women health visitors ; women sanitary inspectors, and school nurses. Most of the progressive local authorities who have adopted the early Notification of Births Act m England, m addition to the employment of a lady superintendent of midwive^ , now have regular women health visitors. The Royal Sanitary Institute has established special classes for women m hygiene, sanitary inspection, medical inspection of school children, and

other subjects, which allow nurses to qualify for the numerous appointments which are now T offering for trained nurses who specialise m these subjects.

Not much has been done yet m this respect m Australia or New Zealand ; but undoubtedly a field of usefulness will be found for women who qualify for this work. In South Australia women are employed as sanitary inspectors. In Tasmania a New Zcalander (Nurse Keach, late of Dunedin) occupies the position of lady sanitary inspector, Hobart, the first Australian sanitary

appointment offered to a member of the nursing profession.

At present the Tasmanian Government is offering salaries of £100 per annum for two trained nurses to assist the medical inspector of schools m Hobart and I^aunceston, and it is expected that women health visitors will also be appointed by the local authorities of these two cities to carry out the initiation which will be carried out on the adoption of the recently passed Early Notification of Births Act.

A special clause has been inserted m the Public Health Act Amendment, Tasmania..

by which the Governor m Council can appoint lecturers and examiners on hygiene, sick nursing, ambulance, feeding and care of infants, domestic cookery, and other subjects for which certificates, medals, etc. will be awarded to women and girls who qualify after a three months course. This is m order to train girls and young women more for home life, than that they should take up nursing. It is recognised that the next step m sanitary reform is to introduce hygiene to the home, and actually to teach the people the principles and practice of living m well \-entilated rooms with cleanly surroundings.