Nurses' Pay and Superannuation

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XII, Issue 4, 1 October 1919, Page 171

Nurses' Pay and Superannuation

" Replying to a question m the House, the Prime Minister said that the hospital boards of the Dominion had been notified that the Department proposes before next session to call a conference of the hospital boards to discuss among other matters a colonial scale of salaries and a superannuation scheme for probationers, nurses, and matrons, so as to place the nursing staffs of hospitals on a better footing."

The above paragraph from the daily press is of interest to every nurse. The Department of Public Health and Hospitals has prepared a scale of salaries for hospital positions, and circularised the hospital boards, many of which had requested a scheme to be suggested for their guidance. The scheme is based on the salaries for nurses m the Government service, and advises the same annual rate of increase to a maximum which, although settled for the present time, is reconsidered from time to time. It is recognised by the Government officials that as nursing is not at any time a profession which can result m for-tune-making, so hospitals which also are not money-earning businesses cannot pay what may be the actual value of the services of their staffs. The element of charity must enter into their work, and we hope it will always enter into the aspirations of

women who take up the profession of nursing — charity m the sense of helping those who cannot afford to pay for help. This must be combined with the help to those who can afford to pay. Therefore the pay of nurses must be on a scale within the power of the employers (the rate-payers and the public who support the hospitals) to carry out.

The second part of the paragraph deals with what has been for long before the Department, and which is recognised o be a most important thing. As nursts with few exceptions cannot earn sufficient to make an adequate provision for old age it is the duty of those for whom she works to help her. There should undoubtedly be a superannuation scheme for all hospital nurses, and it is desirable to make this scheme applicable also to those who are not m the public service, but m private practice.

A scheme has been submitted to the Government actuary, and he has made certain suggestions which we hope will result next year m legislation which will make it obligatory on hospital boards to make the necessary provision.

We hope to bring before the Triennial Conference of the N.Z.T.N.A., to be held m the last week m October, at least an outline of a workable scheme.

The scale shows the graduation of pay for the different positions m hospitals of varying establishment. As the hospitals decrease m size the divisions into separate grades of the staff are much reduced. It would, no doubt, be advisable to have some uniform scale for hospitals of different sizes, but there are many factors to be taken into consideration besides the number of daily occupied beds.

In the large hospitals the matron's responsibilities are lessened by the fact that there is a staff of resident medical officers and by a good nursing-staff of assistant matron, home sister, and other sisters. In the smaller hospitals there is often no resident surgeon, and fewer senior sisters, and therefore much more responsibility as well as work rests on the matron.

The location of a hospital must also be taken into consideration. Hospitals far from the chief centre must offer some compensation to the staff to induce them to stay or to induce new-comers to apply for positions.

The class of work done m a hospital is also a factor. A nurse who is ambitious to improve her knowledge will go to a hospital where she knows she will get good experience at a lower salary, than to one without that reputation, although this laudable ambition should not influence a board to underpay the staff.

For the cottage hospitals of the Dominion where it is difficult to get help, and where the matron frequently has to perform the duties of medical officer, admitting and attending to patients, secretary, keeping

the books, as well as ward nurse, cook, and laundress, the Boards should pay proportionately larger salaries to the women who stay under such adverse conditions. I do not think it would be possible to have any uniform system of payment for the nursing staffs of hospitals unless all were under one control and promotion could be made from one position to another. Even then, when no vacancies occur m the higher positions, length of good service would necessitate disorganising the system.

* The scale of pay for the hospital staffs is based not entirely on the actual value of service rendered, but on the assumption that hospitals, which are not establishments conducted for gain, but are maintained at great expense, could not be carried on unless economy m all respects were exercised. With regard to the payment of probationer nurses, I consider that the scale m vogue throughout the Dominion is quite sufficiently liberal. These young women are being given instruction to fit them for their future profession , m which they should be able to look forward to adequate pay when qualified. In return for their share m caring for the sick m the hospital wards, they have a comfortable home and sufficient pocket-money for dress and necessary recreation, as well as their tuition.

In all other professions, and even trades, some fees or premiums must be paid as well as the expenses of maintenance w r hile qualifying, therefore, I do not recommend any increase whatever to the pay of pupil nurses.

Suggested Scale of Salaries for Nursing Staffs of Hospital Training Schools. Daily Average of Occupied Beds. 300 to 500 150 to 300 60 to 150 60 and under £ £ £ £ Matron 250 to 350 200 to 250 175 to 225 150 to 200 Sub-Matron 150 to 200 130 to 150 110 to 140 Night Charge Sister 125 to 175 120 to 140 110 to 120 Home Sister 125 to 175 120 to 140 110 to 120 Theatre Sister 125 to 175 120 to 140 110 to 120 Sister of Special Department 120 to 150 Ward Sister 100 to 120 Registered Staff Nurses 75 to 90 75 to 90 Probationers : 1st year 25 25 25 25 2nd year 35 35 35 35 3rd year 45 45 45 45 Sub-Matron outside Institutions 150 to 200 150 to 200 District Nurses *180 to 250 Registered general — midwifery District Midwives *170 to 230 Assistants (unqualified) *80 to 100 ♦Cottage or rooms provided, but living expenses met out of salary.