Conference of Hospital Boards

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume X, Issue 1, 1 January 1917, Page 26

Conference of Hospital Boards

The Hon. Minister of Public Health at the above Conference made several remarks of interest to nurses, and paid a tribute to the kw magnificent work done by the nurses of New Zealand m connection with the war." Mr. Russell, continuing, said that the time had come, m his opinion, when a Superannuation Fund should be established m the interests of the doctors and nurses. If, after the war, such a scheme was proposed, he felt sure he would have the entire support of the hospital boards of the Dominion. He also thought that some effort should be made towards the establishment of maternity wards m the hospitals m order to cheapen the cost of parenthood to the great masses of the people. Also provision should be made for an expectant mother to attend and get advice m regard to her condition. Where such a work was undertaken by a hospital he would endeavour to see that it was met by a special direct payment made by the State, as he recognised it was a State matter. This work has always been carried out to a certain extent by the State Maternity Hospitals, and is now being extended and developed m special departments. Cottage Hospitaj s. Referring to the back country districts, say 50 or 60 miles away from a base hospital the Minister asked if they were getting as fair treatment as they deserved m view of the amount of money they had to contribute. In his opinion they were not, and the time had come when m these districts there should be established small cottage hospitals m charge of nurses trained m surgical or maternity work, or both. It will be seen that the useful work of trained nurses is more and more being recognised. In the country places they are badly needed and the people are crying out for them, but at the present time, with so many away on active service, district nurses are hard to find.

Another point of interest to nurses was discussed at the Conference, that is the adoption of a uniform scale of salaries. The delegate who brought up this mater said he considered nurses should be well paid. This reminds us of a saying of a former Minister for Hospitals, who said that if he had anything to do with the levelling of salaries of nurses, it would be a levelling up, not a levelling down ! The matter has already been, at the desire of the hospitals, considered by the Department, but although at their request a scale of salaries for the hospitals of varying sizes was drawn up, it was at the same time pointed out that there were many considerations besides that of salary which induced nurses to remain m hospital service. The experience to be gained, the quality of work of surgeons and physicians, the administration, the surroundings, the atmosphere of the Nurses' Home, the popularity and estimation m which the matron is held all contribute to the content of the staff and induce sisters to remain on year after year. No doubt, should a satisfactory superannuation .scheme be evolved, that also, as m the Government service would be a strong factor. The matter of a superannuation scheme was recently brought before the Hon. Minister by the Council of the Wellington branch of the N.Z.T.N.A., and it is undoubtedly a matter which should be urged upon the hospital boards. Year by year adds to the number of our matrons and nurses who should be able to retire and leave younger hands to take up the reins, but the small provision they have been able to make without such assistance forces them to keep on at work much longer than is desirable either for themselves or for the institutions. At the Conference this urgent matter was bi ought up by the Hon. Minister, and the delegates concurred m the necessity of the boards evolving some scheme.