Official opening of the Matrons' Conference

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XXII, Issue 2, 1 April 1929, Page 50

Official opening of the Matrons' Conference

The official opening took place at the afternoon session of the opening day. The Minister of Health, the Chairman of the Hospital Board, the Acting Direc-tor-General of Health, and the Director of the Nursing Division attended and wished the Conference success. Miss Moore and Misses Lambie and Willis and Miss Maclean, late Director, Division of Nursing, Miss Kohn, President of the T.N.A., and Miss Inglis, Hon. Secretary, were also present. The following speeches are quoted from "The Dominion" : — The Hon. J. A. Stallworthy said he had met many of those present during his travels about the Dominion, and he had been much impressed by the magnificent body of women who were devoting their lives to the service of nursing. The system of hospital administration was undergoing rapid revolution on the medical side, and the same development must take place on the nursing side. Nursing was becoming more and more a specialised subject. The hospital to-day was regarded very differently to the hospital even twenty years ago. There were greater demands on the hospital and the staff, and it was as well that the programme of the Conference largely dealt with education. He found that people who had been m hospitals were most appreciative of the attention received, and it was good to remember that during the war and afterwards, the New Zealand nurses were highly thought of. It was necessary to maintain that high standard, and he felt that the matrons had a great opportunity and a great privilege with regard to the girls training under them. on the human as well as the technical side, m making their lives more efficient and humanly happy. He hoped the deliberations would be fruitful, and assured the Conference that they would have the sympathy of his Department m their work. Dr. Watt apologised for the absence of Dr. Valintine, Director-General of Health, and on his behalf hoped the Conference would be fruitful. It was fitting that education should bulk largely m the work

of the Conference. To retain their position m the nursing world, the training of nurses was of the greatest importance, and Dr. Watt asked their sympathetic attention to a question which had been much before the profession of late. He referred to the training of midwives. The Act of 1925 marked a definite step m the campaign towards maternal welfare. New Zealand had too heavy a maternal death rate. This Act provided for the training of midwives, who were able to take maternity cases without a doctor, and for maternity nurses, who acted only under a doctor's orders. There were two reasons for this reorganisation. The great bulk of maternity work was done by nurses under doctors, and the nurse, if not going to go m for midwifery, could more profitably give her time to other work. Then there were relatively few women m New Zealand not able to afford a doctor m maternity cases, or who would permit themselves to be used for training of midwives. It was felt that some restriction was needed on the group who did not intend to use midwifery, and only took it as further training. A good deal of criticism had been levelled at this Act, but he felt that it was due to misunderstanding. The Act was based on the practice of countries such as Holland, which had the lowest maternal mortality m the world. There the midwife had a three years' course, and the maternity nurse 18 months. We had not yet reached that standard m New Zealand. Dame Janet Campbell, m charge of maternity care m England, m a report drawn up m 1927, recommended the two classes — the certified midwife and obstetric nurse. The Department felt that the present course was a definite improvement, and he hoped that Matrons would be sympathetic and discourage nurses who did not intend to practise midwifery from taking up that training. He hoped that m the future every nurse might be able to take six months' maternity course m the fourth year. He assured the Conference that their deliberations had the sympathy of the Department, and of the Nurses' and Midwives' Registration Board.

Mr. C. M. Luke, Chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board, warmly welcomed the Matrons to Wellington. He had himself signed the certificates of no fewer than five of the Matrons present, including the chairman, Miss McKenny. He had heard many trainees complain of hard times, but these same women, after passing their examinations, had nothing but praise for that training, and this spoke volumes for the respect and esteem m which the Matrons were held. He looked forward to the time when one of these ladies might occupy the dignified position of a Minister of Public Health. Miss Bicknell. Director of Nursing, added her good wishes, and expressed

pleasure at the increase m numbers. Miss McKenny, on behalf of the Conference, thanked the speakers. Hospitals were changing on the social and economic side as well as the medical. The economic problem was the concern of nurses, and the speaker thought they should aim at training a body of nurses to do community nursing service. They would also teach health rules to people m their own homes. The Matron's life was an isolated one; she had little means of contact with other Matrons, and such Conferences as this provided one remedy for that. She warmly thanked the speakers for their sympathy and help.