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Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VII, Issue 2, 1 April 1914, Page 81

Dear Editor, I believe all teachers of Nurses will agree with Dr. Home, as to the value of a careful record of a Nurse's ward work. As a means of estimating a Nurse's ability it is superior to any examination we have as yet. But to make it part of an Examination test, fairly and uniformly applied, presents extreme difficulty. And an Examination test must, before all things, be equally applied. If all the Pupil Nurses were m one hospital under a common teaching staff it would be simple enough. As it is we have many training schools ; also frequent changes m the personnel of the teaching staffs. It is, to say the least, highly improbable that each school has exactly the same standard of efficiency. Therefore a pupil from A school might be presented for examination with her record " Excellent," while another from B school obtained only satisfactory," — entirely owing to the different ideal of the latter's teacher. So the A hospital candidate might pass with honours while the B candidate though of equal merit really failed. Dr. Home's scheme could be adopted by hospitals for the awarding of their own special Certificate, with very great advantage. Most Nurses on leaving their training school ask the medical superintendent and matron for a testimonial. A certificate worded suitably might provide for this, and would be quite sufficient for a newlytrained Nurse until she acquire that most just " testimonial " that her patients and public award her. Yours truly, Wanganui Hospital, C. McKenny. 24th March, 1914.