New Hospitals and Additions New Nurses' Homes

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XI, Issue 3, 1 July 1918, Page 146

New Hospitals and Additions New Nurses' Homes

Plans have been prepared for a Nurses' Home at New Plymouth. Now the new hospital is completed, the old home is quite inadequate. The board took the wise step of sending Miss Campbell, the matron, on a trip to visit the hospitals corresponding to the New Plymouth Hospital and to take observations and report on the features in the Nurses 1 Homes which she found most worthy of adoption. The result is that the plan includes the many conveniences which women chiefly appreciate, and the nurses will be exceedingly comfortable. One feature which we have not seen hitherto is a small wing in which the night nurses are provided with tiny rooms furnished only with a bed and chair. In these they are to sleep, away from the noise of the rest of the staff, but to dress and undress in their own rooms, which they retain for their whole term in hospital. * * * At Nelson, where a new hospital is to be built, the step has been taken of erecting the Nurses' Home first. Here the nurses

are most comfortably provided for. The details of the home have been well thought out and not only comfort of body, but provision for recreation has not been forgotten. In the artistic surroundings the nurses should be happy and contented. * * * The plan for a new hospital at Nelson has been approved by the Minister of Public Health. It will be remembered that some five years ago a large sum of money was donated for this purpose by the late Mr. Cawthron, and with this and a Government subsidy a building is to be erected ot a cost of £33,158. A maternity hospital, very badly needed in Nelson, is included with the general hospital. * * * At Auckland, where the new Children's Hospital was recently opened, a new wing to the Nurses' Home, necessitated by the increased staff needed, and the Children's Hospital and the military annexes, to accommodate seventy -five nurses, is authorised It will cost £22,000

At Wanganui Hospital a diphtheria ward and two case-isolation blocks are to be built. * * *

At Hawera, additions to the laundry and the Nurses' Home. * # *

At Masterton, a new general ward is to be built with a somewhat new feature. The sanitary annexe is placed at the eastern side midway from each end. On the western side is an annexe corresponding externally generally with that on east side, but divided up into two parts, one being a sink-room and the other a " treatmentroom," where minor dressings and sterilisations may be carried out. These two compartments are in themselves well ventilated and independent of each other, and are approached from the ward by a short cross-ventilated passage. Additions to the Nurses' Home are also to be erected. # * *

At Dunedin a pavilion for twenty -six infectious cases and case-isolation and admission pavilion for six cases, a Nurses' Home for Isolation Hospital, a mortuary, disinfecting room, sleeping room, store room, a patient's undressing room, bath room, and waiting room are to be added.

* * * A fine Tuberculosis Hospital has just been erected by the Southland Hospital

Board at Kew and this and the old isolation hospital will now be under the charge of a sister from the hospital, and staffed by nurses and probationers sent for short periods during their training. Large additions to the accommodation for diphtheria cases have been necessitated by the long continued epidemic in this part of the country. * ♦ *

Among buildings for militaiy purposes it is proposed to erect wards for sixty beds at the Wellington Hospital, which in addition to the Victoria Ward, will provide 100 beds for returned soldiers at Wellington.

* * * At Rotorua, a plan is prepared for the Orthopaedic Hospital, the staff of which will shortly arrive from England with all the latest developments. In the meantime, until this is built, the new Chalmers block for Chronic patients, recently opened at Christchurch Hospital, will be used. It is at present occupied by military patients, and the donor, Miss Chalmers, has consented to its further use for the Orthopsedic Hospital.

* * * Near Waipukurau a site has been acquired for a Tuberculosis Hospital, a Sanitorium for soldiers. When it is built the Te Waikato Sanatorium will return to civilian patients entirely.