Two Days a Month

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XIV, Issue 1, 1 January 1921, Page 12

Two Days a Month

Holidays for Hospital Nurses

New Scheme in Operation

Last November the medical superintendent of the Wellington Hospital was instructed by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to make arrangements whereby each member of the nursing staff would be permitted to be free from duty one day each month, and to endeavour to bring the new scheme into operation as soon as possible in the now year. The medical superintendent, in complying with the Board's instruction, found it possible to give each nurse 48 hours consecutively oft: in each month, instead of only 24 as originally contemplated, and the new scheme was brought into operation on January 3. The medical superintendent \s report, embodying the scheme, is as follows: — "By a temporary change of duty at this time, nurses on leave, except those on night duty, will perform no duty for 48 hours — e.g., a nurse will come oft' duty at 2 p.m. on Monday, and return at 2 p.m.. on Wednesday for afternoon duty, and resume morning duty on Thursday. Nurses oii afternoon duty will change to morning duty for one day, and 48 hours after the termination of that duty will resume their afternoon duty. Nurses on night duty will be 40 hours off duty, and sisters 42 hours. Nurses not required to be in the Nurses' Home at any time during these 48 hours will stay with friends or relatives if they desire. Two teams of relieving nurses have been formed, each team consisting of one nurse and one probationer.. A relieving team will be in each ward for three days, during which time all the nursing staff of that ward will be relieved. "The morning nurses in Wards 1 and 2 thus come off duty for 48 hours at 2 p.m. on January 3. Three days later, that is, at 2 p.m. to-day, the morning nurses in Wards 3 and 5 will commence their leave. The relieving team will commence duty in Wards 1 and 2 at 2 p.m. on Tuesday,

and do morning or divided duty on Wednesday and Thursday, when they will proceed to other wards in sequence for periods of three days until all the staff lias been relieved. These teams will also have monthly leave. Night nurses will be relieved independently of the other nurses. "While i'vvvy effort will be made to keep this scheme working, it must be understood that unforeseen circumstances may cause leave to be stopped for a time. For example, if there should be a large number of nurses off duty through sickness or other causes, the members of the relieving teams will be required to relieve these muses, and not those who should be going on leave. If a nurse fails to return from leave at the right time, the remainder of the staff might be penalised, because the relieving nurse will be unable to proceed to the next ward until the absent nurse returns. It is regretted that owing to the diminished train service on Sundays, those nurses whose leave commences or ends on that day may be unable to visit places out of Wellington, and the value of their leave will be to some extent lessened, but arrangements to obviate this difficulty cannot at present be made." [The above extract, front the ' ' Dominion ' J of 7th instant, is of great interest. The Hospital Boards have been urged by the Public Health Department to make a six days' working week for their nurses, and this is the first practical response. The time so given will, perhaps, be of more value than one day in a fortnight, as it will allow of nurses whoso homes are at a distance visiting their relations. Hospital Boards generally responded to the circular of the Department favourably, and are willing to give a day off each week as soon as sufficient staff can be obtained and accommodated to make it possible. This is, of course, in addition to the ordinary eight hours' duty.]