Nurses' Superannuation

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 3, 1 July 1925, Page 126

Nurses' Superannuation

Our readers will be glad to learn that there is a very good pi v ospcct of the long promised legislation for the superannuation of nurses being passed during the present Session of Parliament. The Bill is drafted and is very soon to be brought up. Many promises have been made by Ministers and members to support the Bill and a definite pronouncement was made by the Hon. Minister of Health, Sir Main Pomare, when opening the additions to the Nurses Home at Auckland, that ho would bring the Bill in as a Government 'measure this Session. Some difficulty has been caused by the attempt to have included in the Bill midwives as well as nurses, and we are informed that at the present time it will not 'be possible to do this. Any attempt to insist would probably wreck the Bill this Session, and as next Session there will be a new Parliament with probably many new members, the whole campaign might have to commence again. Let us be content at the present time to get the proposals now drafted through, and in later years amendments may be made which would meet the needs of all. It must be remembered that it is only future nurses who ■can benefit greatly by a Superannuation Act passed now or at all events nurses who have still many years of work befor them in hospital work or private nursing.

An Act which did not include private nurses would be of little value, as private

nurses are the ones more than any others whose work is intermittent and expenses heavy.

With regard to midwives the conditions of their training are so different to those of general nurses, that to include them in the same Bill would scarcely be possible. The training is short and there is no salary on which to base deductions and payments, but we hope that in the future, when qualified, they may be able to join the Fund in thc same way as private nurses. It is more than probable that in the future all midwives will be trained nurses. The examination held in June shows the trend towards full qualification for midwives — out of 97 candidates, 53 registered nurses passed and are now registered midwives. The midwifery nurses trained only for that branch in the past have done most excellent work and been the greatest boon to the community and are fully as much entitled to superannuation benefits, had it been possible to include them, as the general nurse, but when certain proposals to greatly lengthen the midwifery training for those who have not qualified as general nurses, are carried out thoughtful girls will recognise that the present short road to nursing is being gradually closed, and will not think of entering maternity hospitals until they have gained their general certificates.