Wellington Branch

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XIV, Issue 1, 1 January 1921, Page 2

Wellington Branch

ANNUAL RKPORT

For the Year Ended October 31, 1920.

Members of Council : President, Miss Injglis; vice-presidents, Miss Payne and Miss Bicknell ; medical members, Dr. Young and Dr. Elliott; matrons and nurses, Miss Kohn, Mrs. Cameron, Mrs. Thomson, Mtiss C. Wilson, Miss Stott, and Miss Clifford; lay members, Mrs. Gill and Miss MacGregor; hon. treasurer, Miss I. Willis.

Your Council presents this, the fourteenth Annual Report of this branch of the Association. The income and expenditure account shows an excess of income over expenditure -of £460 13s 3d. On the whole it has been a fairly successful year, aiid a Post Office Savings Bank account has been opened with a view to paying off the debt of the club. The Council arranged to pay in £75 every three months, if possible, and up to date £150 has been paid in, in addition to the £10 donated by Miss Maclean, as editor ( of "Kai Tiaki," the nursing journal. The membership of the club at present stands at about 240. The management of the Club is now under the control of Miss Thompson, who has filled the position well and capably, notwithstanding the increasing difficulties of domestic help. The club has been full nearly all the year. Owing to the steadily-increasing dost of living, the Council found it necessary to raise the tariff of the club, but it will be admitted that the new charges arc by no means excessive. During the year the club has been repapered throughout, and all the bedroom floors have been re-stained.

It has been necessary to purchase some floor rugs, a carpet for matron's room, extra beds and bedding, new curtains throughout, and some extra household linen, cutlery, etc. A new hot-water service has recently been "installed, and appears satisfactory. Nomination papers for the new Council were sent out to all .members, with the result that the personnel of the Council is as follows : President Miss Iniglis ; vicepresidents, Miss Stott and Miss Bicknell; medical members, Dr. Young and Dr. Elliott; matrons and nurses, Miss Kohn, Mrs. Cameron, Miss Clifford, Miss Wilson, Miss Willis and Mrs Campbell Begg; lay members, Mrs Gill and Miss MacGregor; hon. treasurer, Mrs. Thomson. We have with great regret to record the death of Mrs. Holgate, the originator of the Trained Nurses' Association In New Zealand. Mrs. Holgate had of late years resided in England, and during the Great War gave her services in France, until her health broke down. The Council takes this opportunity to thank those debenture-holders who so generously gave back their interest as donations to the Association. The general meeting was held on December 22nd, at the Nurses' Club. Dr. Young was in the chair. It was disappointing to see the small attendance, proving yet again how little interest the nurses take in the management of their affairs. Apology was made for the lateness of the meeting, which usually takes place in November, this .being due to . several changes of accountants. The balance sheet was considered fairly satisfactory, the finances of the Association being in a better condition than

at the commence,menl of the year, there being an excess of income over expenditure of about £560. Some slight alterations in Rules 8, 9 (Clause I)), and 14 were made. Rule 8 in future will read: "Nurses' annual subscriptions to fall due Ist November, and due notice of same to be issued. M Rule 9 (Clause D) to read: "A person shall cease to be a member of the Association in the event of has or her annual subscription being unpaid for one yea i r" (instead of two years). Rule 14: "Officers of Council to include Honorary Treasurer and Secretary combined. 5 * The Dental policy in schools was discussed. Dr. Wilkin, of the Education Department, spoke on the subject. He said that the whole scheme was in its infancy, and lin the nature of an experiment, it being proposed to give women, preferably trained nurses or trained dental assistants, an intensive training in simple fillings and extractions, the course to be two years. He thought, in the case of trained nurses, the course might be reduced. Miss Maclean, Director of the Nursing Division, thought the .scheme a good one, but that trained nurses should not be on the same footinig as untrained women, as that would tend to lower the status of the nursing profession. She also felt that nurses would sacrifice a great deal in leaving the more interesting field of nursing for this work, and that trained nurses were so much required for the care of the sick that they could not be well spared to take up work which could be done very well by women without full training. She considered the dental work should be like midwifery work and mas-s-age — a branch of nursing which could be taken up separately. Dr. Elliott spoke of the alarming hold of dental decay in the primary schools, cadet corps, etc., and the urgency of something being done at once. The matter could not wait for students to be trained the full four years, as the Denlists' Association wanted, and he thought

that women, especially trained nurses, given an intensive training in special branches of dental work, should easily be able to cope with what was needed — that of simple stoppings and extractions. He thoughi the word "operation" had rather frightened the public. Another point he emphasised was that children were easily frightened, and that dentists had not the time or patience to deal with them successfully, and that women were better fitted for it. He thought the dental scheme should be helped in every way — that the needs of our children should be our first consideration. Dr. Elliott suggested that the Dental Department should confer with Maclean, Director of the Division of Nursing, re modification of scheme. The question of salary was discussed, and it was pointed out that the pay offered was greater than trained nurses were getting, which should not be the case. Dr. Young thought that the nursing profession should be on a higher plane than dental work only, and that few nurses would be tempted to give up their own work for it, except, perhaps, those who had been nursing for sopne years and needed a change. Indeed, he thought it should be taken up by nurses who had done the more strenuous nursing work for a few years, and later needed work of a less strenuous nature. Dr. Young proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Wilkin, of the Education Department. A resolution was passed unanimously expressing the Association's confidence in the Education Department J s proposed scheme for the intensive training of women in simple treatment of children's teeth, but that it was the opinion of the Association that the status of the nursing profession be conserved by a concession in regard to the period of dental training for the trained nurses, in view of their professional qualifications. After the business, an enjoyable social and musical evening was spent and supper served.