THE NURSES' REGISTRATION AMENDMENT ACT, 1920.

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XIV, Issue 1, 1 January 1921, Page 20

THE NURSES' REGISTRATION AMENDMENT ACT, 1920.

This Act is to be deemed part of the Nurses' Registration Act, 1908 (which was first passed in 1901). The most important change in the principal Act m that the age for registration is now 21, instead of 23. Probationers who are suitable may therefore co»mmenee their training at 18. This will give the opportunity to giirls who have to enter upon some work to maintain themselves soon after leaving school, and wish eventually to qualify as nurses, to enter on the work they prefer instead of rather wasting time in offices or elsewhere which will not advance them in their chosen profession. The Amendment also confirms the practice of allowing training in one. or more hospitals to count as an approved course. The hospitals must be approved by the Registrar. Affiliation of small hospitals with the larger one, in which wider experience can be gained, is thus encouraged by the State, and should, if only the larger hospitals will show some altruistic spirit and accept probationers for part time from small hospitals in whiich some of the necessary training can be given with fair results, give the much-needed assistance to the smaller country hospitals. The difficulties of these hospitals in obtaining probationers is acute, and this is the case not only in New Zealand but in

all other countries where nurses are I rained. In England, Scotland and Ireland this is a most important portion of the work of the Nursing Councils under the Registration Acts, and we await with interest the report of how the difficulty is to be met. Affiliation is what we have preached for years, and seems to be the only solution. Section 5 of the principal Act, laying down 12 lectures as the minimum for each year of the three-year course, which has for years been altered by regulation which prescribes a much larger number, is now repealed. The course of training will be left to regulations. Section 6 of the principal Act is amended to the effect that the registration badge will only be igiven to nurses trained m New Zealand. Nurses from outside the Dominion will receive a certificate of registration only. This will, we think, give satisfaction to the New Zealand nurses. Nurses from outside will probably have their own badges, and thus this amendment wdll be a means of distinguishing those who are really New Zealand nurses.