Report of Conference on the Supply of Nursing Aid for the Sick and Wounded

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 4, 1 October 1915, Page 163

Report of Conference on the Supply of Nursing Aid for the Sick and Wounded

Owing to the evident confusion m the public mind concerning the supply and demand for efficient nursing facilities for our sick and wounded soldiers, the Hon. the Minister of Public Health decided to call a Conference m Wellington. Her Excellency Lady Liverpool was asked to preside, and delegates were invited from the heads of the nursing profession m New Zealand, viz. : The Acting-Matron-in-Chief of the N.Z.A.N.S. ; the four principal lady Superintendents of our large hospitals, who are also the four Honorary District Military Matrons ; from the four branches of the N.Z. Trained Nurses' Association ; Mrs. Luke, the wife of the Mayor of Wellington, and other ladies of proved interest ; also representatives of St. John's Ambulance Association, and the " Volunteer Sisterhood." The object of the Conference was to initiate m Wellington a national movement, the scope of which would include :—- -1. The supply of an adequate number of trained nurses for our sick and wounded soldiers at the front. 2. The care of returned invalided and incapacitated soldiers after their discharge from military hospitals and convalescent homes m New Zealand. 3. The maintenance and acceleration of the usual efficient training of nurses m our hospitals. (a) To keep the demands for the N.Z.A.N.S. supplied. (b) To adequately staff our civil and military hospitals m N.Z. 4. To establish and sustain among N.Z. women a personal and helpful interest m the families of soldiers on active service and particularly of those where the breadwinners have been killed or incapacitated. The Conference was largely attended and took place m one of the large "Petitions " rooms m the Parliamentary Building, on August 25th, at 3.30 p.m. The Hon. the Minister for Public Health Mr. G. W Russell, explained the scope of the Conference, and introduced Her Excellency Lady Liverpool, whom he requested to open the Conference. Her Excellency, m a gracious and earnest speech, expressed

her sympathy with the objects of the Conference and her desire to assist m every way. There were present Colonel Valintine, In-spector-General of Hospitals, and Director of Military Hospitals, who had at the request of the Hon the Minister, initiated the Conference : the Acting Matron-in-Chief Miss Bicknell, Miss Payne, Miss Orr, Miss Myles, Lady Superintendents of the Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin Hospitals and Hon. Military Matrons ; (regret was expressed that Miss Thurston, of Christchurch Hospital was absent m Australia) ; Miss Bagley, of the Health and Hospitals Department ; Miss Melita Jones, representing the Central Council of the N.Z.T.N.A. (Miss Jones and Miss Orr also attended as delegates from the Auckland Branch) ; Mrs. Porter and Miss Inglis represented Wellington ; Miss Maude and Miss Hood, Christchurch, and Mrs. Fraser and Miss Morison, Dunedin ; Mrs. Massey, Mrs. Luke, Lady Ward, Dr. Platts-Mills, Mrs. Grace Neill (late Assistant Inspector of Hospitals), and Mesdames Kendall, Wilford, Valintine, Pomare, Thompson, Young, Myers, Algar Williams, Lady Stout, Miss Walshe, and others. The representatives of St. John Ambulance Association were Mesdames Smith (Auckland) ; Walters (Wellington) ; Moore (Wanganui) ; Preston (Wellington South) ; Messrs. Tunks (Auckland) ; Seed, (Wellington) ; and McKinney (Christchurch) ; Miss Rout represented the " Volunteer Sisterhood. ' ' Many leading Wellington citizens were also present —mostly ladies ; the Conference was -as was abundantly evident — m the very free discussion which took place at the second meeting— essentially a women's affair, and although on one occassion, we will admit that it became necessary for the Minister to call the meeting to order, a most earnest effort on the part of all the delegates was displayed to work unitedly for the objects of the Conference. Various motions were brought forward and carried, and a second meeting was held to deal with nursing matters only. Her Excellency then took her leave. Mr. Russell, Minister for Public Health, made a very forcible speech m the course of which he said that it had been decided that trained nurses only were to go to the front, and he had been assured that an ample supply

would be forthcoming ; but should it be necessary to send all the available qualified ones, then the ranks of nurses undergoing training would be drawn on, begin ning with those in their fourth year then third year etc . , their c ourse of training to be completed later upon their return. It was unlikely however that the nurses in training would be required, as half-yearly at least sixty or seventy nurses qualified in New Zealand and numbers were registered from overseas. With regard to other helpers, he invited discussion. Miss J. Melita Jones, Hon. Sec. Central Council N.Z.,T.N.A. read a letter from Miss Foote, President of the Association, as folloAvs :— 1 ' I deeply regret that owing to a severe attack of illness I am unable to attend the Conference. With regard to the nursing of our soldiers, I am glad to be able to state that an ample supply of fully trained nurses i; forthcoming, and I feel sure we shall be able to fill all vacancies in our ranks at the front, as they occur. May I point out that for the last year St. John Ambulance and the Red Cross workers have been doing their utmost to fit themselves for any emergency that may arise for their services in New Zealand. I certainly think that their services should be accepted before the recently-formed body of women named the " Volunteer Sisterhood." I do not wish in any way to question the kind spirit in which this movement was started ; but feel that to put them before the organisation I have named is neither fair or just. Can they be persuaded to join the St. John Ambulance ? They would then be available when the more experienced workers were already engaged." " J. Foote. "President N.Z.T.N.A." Miss Orr, Military Matron for Auckland district, confirmed Miss Foote's statements, showing that our hospitals need not be depleted as fresh probationers could always be taken on in the usual way with supervision from qualified nurses, the St. John Ambulance workers or partially trained nurses would be able to fill any gaps in the ranks when probationers for training were not available.

It was pointed out -by the delegates from St. John Ambulance that their Association was a very ancient one, and that they worked for years to bring themselves to the state of efficiency they had attained and they felt that their organisation ought to be recognised before that of any recentlyformed body, should outside assistance be necessary for either Military or Convalescent Homes m New Zealand. The Minister, after listening to all arguments, decided that St. John Ambulance Association must be the only organisation recognised apart from hospital-trained nurses for such necessary nursing assistance, and advised the " Volunteer Sisterhood " to merge into St. John Ambulance Association, and when they had qualified by going through the course of lectures, etc., their services would be used m rotation. A tribute was paid to the kindly spirit exhibited by all classes of the community m off ering their ser vie es . Dr. Valintine accompanied by Miss Bagley upon the invitation of the N.Z. Trained Nurses' Association, had attended their council meeting m the morning when the views of the members upon the question of the demand for and supply of trained nurses to meet the requirements were fully discussed. Mrs. Porter presided at the meeting. The delegates at the second conference meeting were entertained at after noon tea by the Hon. G. W. Russell, who remarked that when he discussed matters with men he invited them to smoke, but as so many ladies were present he thought tea might prove a good substitute. The Thursday following the conference, the delegates were given a pass to Trentham. C 01 . Valintine and Ma j or Andre w kindly conducted them over the whole camp, and all came to the conclusion that whatever shortcomings there may have been m the past m the way of hospital accommodation, all had been rectified, and no anxious relatives need be under apprehension with regard to any sickness that may arise, for the best accommodation, equipment, and skilled nursing have now been provided. It would be difficult indeed to find a more adaptable building as an emergency hospital on a large scale than the racecourse pavilion at Trentham has proved under skilful manipulation and management. J. Melita Jones.

(The Hon. G. W. Russell has since addressed meetings m other centres and has emphatically stated that it is the intention of the Government to accept the services of trained and registered nurses only for military duty at the front, and should other

nursing assistance be necessary m New Zealand, the only organization of untrained women recognised by the Government would be St. John Ambulance Association m which every other proposed organisation of the sort was advised to merge.)