Notes from Abroad

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XVI, Issue 4, 1 October 1923, Page 169

Notes from Abroad

(Kindly Supplied by the Supplement to the Information Circular by the Nursing Division of the League of the Red Cross.]

It is much regretted that, owing to lack of space, more use cannot be made of the interesting matter sent, of which the following are extracts : Poland. — New Nursing School m Poland: A nurses' training school has recently been opened m connection with the Jewish Hospital m Warsaw, Poland, for which $30,000 has been appropriated by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. This is the second American training-school to be established m Warsaw, the first one being opened by the Red Cross. In the large cities there are some trained nurses m the hospitals, but few m general practice. Occasionally a very wealthy person may hire a nurse from a hospital, but only at an exorbitant price. In the small towns the conditions are much worse, as some small hamlets do not even have a doctor but must rely upon the services of the local barber, or feldscher. — ("The Modern Hospital," April, 1923.) Nurse becomes Chief of Kaw Indians. — Mrs. John Eads, a trained nurse, and the foster-daughter of Chief Washunga, who headed the Kaw Tribe of Indians m Oklahoma, has been selected as chief of the tribe. She understands the health needs of her people, and will be active m bringing her background m health nursing into their lives. — ("The Trained Nurse and Hospital Review/ March, 1923.) Australia. — Industrial Hygiene and Welfare ; A course of industrial hygiene and welfare was started at the East Sydney Technical College early m March. This should be of special interest to nurses. Australasia is so far only m its infancy as an industrial centre, but everything points to its becoming one of the largest industrial centres m the southern hemisphere. Woollen mills are being built and started m different parts of the Commonwealth. Cotton will be, before long, grown and milled m large quantities, and m any country that manufactures textiles large numbers of women are employed,

and the owners of factories and large establishments must follow the lead of Great Britain and America, and employ welfare industrial hygiene supervisers. The number of welfare workers m England runs into thousands, because, it has been found that it pays the firm to employ them. With the decrease of infectious diseases, more especially enteric, there is considerably less private work for nurses, and the increase of public health work offers an opening which will take its place. But if nurses want administrative work m factories or retail establishments, they must have some other qualifications than a nurse's certificate. Dr. Cumpston, Director-General of Health, foreseeing that Australia would become a great industrial centre, and with the increase of industry there would be occupational diseases, instituted a Department of Industrial Hygiene. Dr. D. G. Robertson, International Health Board, advisor m Industrial Hygiene, is the director of this division. Apart from work m the factories, nurses applying for any Government position will be given preference if they have any certificate for health work m addition to their nurse's certificate. The following is a full course for a factory inspector, but nurses not wishing to take the whole course can obtain a certificate for separate subjects : Industrial Hygiene and Welfare. Terms. 1. Practical sanitation. 2. Sanitary laws and infections. 3. Industrial hygiene. 1. Industrial hygiene. 2. First-aid and ambulance work. 3. Safety first, half term. Machine fencing. 4. Sanitary building and construction. The lectures on sanitary law are given by Dr. J. S. Purdy. The two first m this subject will be given by Dr. Harvey Slitton, as Dr. Purdy will not have returned by that date. — (" The Australasian Nurses' Journal," Feb., 1923.)