Post-Graduate Lectures to Auckland Midwives

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XV, Issue 1, 1 January 1922, Page 41

Post-Graduate Lectures to Auckland Midwives

A series of two lectures, illustrated with lantern slides and covering a great deal of ground, were arranged by Dr. Tracy Inglis under the auspices of the Department of Health, and given at the clinicalroom, Auckland Hospital, on the evenings of December 15th and 16th. There was a splendid attendance of midwives at both lectures, and great appreciation of Dr. Inglis 's kindness m igiving the lectures was expressed by those present at the conclusion of each. There is a possibility of a complete course being arranged for later, and no doubt these will meet with the greatest appreciation of the practising midwives of Auckland — at least by the large number who attended these two lectures. The first evening was devoted to "Normal Pregnancy and the Conduct of Normal Labour," and the best up-to-date methods of maintaining the normal and guarding the well-being of mothers and infants through this natural process without untoward results. So much is included under this heading that only salient points could be emphasised m one evening's lecture, but these were ungrudgingly dealt with by the lecturer, for nearly two hours of his valuable time, those present exhibiting absorbing interest throughout. The second lecture, on "Abnormal and Delayed Labour : the Aseptic and Antiseptic Conduct of Labour, and Midwifery Emergencies," was even more interesting than the first, the lantern-pictures pressing home the doctor's explanations. A special point was made of the need for careful asepsis, and how the midwife could

secure this to the extent necessary m all circumstances m which she might find herself placed. All such opportunities of "refresher" lectures, m any '"branch of their profession, should be eagerly grasped by all those m the branches concerned. Hitherto m this country very little has been done m this direction^ In Britain, America, and other countries, much attention is being devoted to post-graduate training m order to maintain standards which soon become lowered unless they are nursed. New Zealand must not lag behind m this respect, particularly m its nursing and midwifery standards: efficiency of the members of these professions is becoming an increasing necessity, if they are to play their part m the promotion and maintenance of the health of our people m the many new avenues of usefulness opening up before them. Lectures such as those started by Dr. Tracy Inglis are what are required ip other branches of nursing as well as midwifery; and according to the interest shown by members of our profession m such efforts as these, and m the initiation of others, will New Zealand nurses and midwives continue to do honour to the schools wdiich have trained them. Who does not feel the danger of igrowing "rusty?" And further, it is for postgraduate and experienced nurses and midwives, even if their w r ork is somewhat removed from the hospitals which are train-ing-schools, to continually interest themselves m the w r ork of those schools. By doing so, they will do much to maintain high standards for those who follow after.

A nurse writes as follows : — My first day here meant a trip up the Waima Valley, to see a sick child. We communicated by telephone with the doctor.. After seeing the child, and as ..his foster-parents were anxious for him to come to hospital, the doctor said to bring him down. We reached home here at 11.30 p.m. We had started m the inspector's launch at 10 a.m. The road or track

up the valley, through the busb^took us five times through the river, wnich was high, and through mud, which was up to the stirrups. Kauri logs are hauled along some of this bit of track by teams of bullocks, so that makes it even worse than it would otherwise /T be. Yet over this track Maori girls and boys'ride two and three together on a horse every day, to get their schoolintg.