Military Hospitals

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XV, Issue 2, 1 April 1922, Page 65

Military Hospitals

During the last quarter, the military hospitals at Rotorua, Pukeora, and Hanmer have been placed under civil control and under the administration of the Health Department. This has involved many changes, but so far as the nursing staffs are concerned, there has been little or no change m the establishment or m its personnel. All matrons and sisters have been retained who wished to remain, and only those have resigned who m any case had intended to have change of work or to travel to other countries, as many of our nurses are now doing. Some have resigned for the happy reason of marriage; some because their parents have needed them at home. Naturally, under the civil administration, it has been necessary to revise the pay of the sisters m order to bring it into line with the prevailing rates at civil hospitals under the Hospital Boards and the other hospitals'under Health Deparement. After the war, no change had been mad: 1 m the military, rate of pay, when all were on home service, as was the case m other nursing services; and the sisters were fortunate m retaining the higher rate for so long. The pay now given was carefully calculated, with some allowance for the longwar service of the senior sisters; so thai several are near the maximum rate for the position. The scale given below, as approved by the Public Service Commissioner, compares very favourably with the pay of nurses m other countries, and m addition 28 days' annual leave is given and a uniform alloAvance of £8 a year. In the passing of these hospitals to civil control, the number of men acting as orderlies m the wards lias been greatly reduced, but not yet quite to ordinary hospital numbers. The term V.A.D. lias been discontinued, and the young women now taken on are termed "hospital aids. 1 ' They are expected to take on the ordinary duties of nursing probationers and of

ward work, and arc all of the one class, associated together, and the work of each is regarded as equally honourable and important. Cooking is done by these hospital aids, and the mess of the staff is waited on and conducted by those detailed for this duty. There are at present no probationers m training, as the class of patients is not sufficiently varied to afford the necessary experience; but it is hoped later to institute (at least at the general hospitals, as they receive a greater variety of cases) a training-school. Tt may then be found possible to transfer from one to another the girls who wish to become nurses. So far the young women entering limy«--not shown any great desire to tram, though a few have gone on to trainingschools. Trentham Hospital was the last of the military hospitals to pass over, and this event occurred at midnight on March 31. The salaries of the staff continue at military rates for three months. The Chronic Homes for soldiers at Dunedin, Auckland and Christchunch remain under military control, and are run by the Red Cross and Patriotic Associations. The nursing staffs haye 1 been demobilised and put on civil lines, and are under the Ma-fcron-in-Chief. The Matron-in-Chief remains m control of the nursing staffs of all the ex-military hospitals, but m her capacity of Director, Division of Nursing. This continuity of supervision makes for a smooth and easy transition, and the staffs can feel that their past service is known and appreciated. Eates of pay for hospital staffs under the Health Department: — ■ Matrons: £330 to £350, with £10 annual increments. Sub-matrons: £240 to £250, with £10 annual increment. Sisters: £170 to £230, with £10 annual increments.

Staff nurses (not registered) : £150 to £170, with £10 annual increments.

Hospital aids (not m training) : £130 to £150, with £10 annual increments (all with deductions for board and residence of from £45 to £65 per year).

Probationers (when m training) : First year, £30; second year, £40; third year, £50 (with no deduction). Head masseuse: £250 to £270. Massage staff: £170 to £240, with deduction for board and residence.