A Review of the New Zealand Trained Nurses' Association

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XXII, Issue 3, 1 July 1929, Page 102

A Review of the New Zealand Trained Nurses' Association

Report read at the International Council Congress, at Montreal

The New Zealand Trained Nurses' Association was founded m 1909, by the amalgamation of the associations m the four chief centres, following the early efforts of the private nurses m Wellington m 1905, who at that date formed a small committee or association, the object of which was to further and protect the interests of the Trained Nurse. Since its inception the National .Association has grown until at the present there are nine branches, within the Dominion, each branch having its own council which is elected from its registered nurse membership. An Annual Conference is held m the different centres by rotation; to this conference representatves are sent from each branch council, thus constituting the Central Council. To facilitate the working of the Central Council, the members of which will not always be the same, a permanent National Secretary was appointed. Activities within the Association since 1925. In 1928 a new Act was passed m New Zealand termed the " Nurses and Midwives' Registration Act," which gave the control of the registration and training of nurses to a Board termed the " Nurses and Midwives' Registration Board/ The Act states the Board shall consist of : — (a) The Director-General of Health under the Health Act, 1920. (b) The Director of the Division of Xursing under the Health Act, 1920. (c) A registered medical practitioner appointed on the recommendation of the Minister. (d) Two other persons of whom one shall be a registered nurse, and the other shall be a registered midwife, each appointed on the recommendation of the Xew Zealand Trained' Nurses' Association.

The members of the Board, other than members who are such, by virtue of their office, shall be appointed by the Gover-nor-General for a period of three years." Superannuation of Nurses. For several years at each Annual Conference the question of superannuation has been considered, deputations were appointed to await upon the members of the House of Representatives and finally, after much labour and often disappointment, an amendment to the National Provident Fund was passed m 1925 which provided the machinery. The pension fund is financed as follows: — The deduction varies from 4 per cent. on the salary of these nurses under 30 on joining- the fund to 9 per cent, on those over 50 on joining-, and for the purposes of this deduction and also for reckoning the pension payable on retirement the sum of £52 is added to all nurses' salaries as being the estimated value of their board and lodgings. In addition to the contributors contribution referred to, the Hospital Hoard contributes an amount which varies according to the age and service of the nurses on joining the fund. The New Zealand Government subsidises both the employees and the Board's contribution to the extent of 25 per cent., and also bears all administrative and office expenses. The full amount contributed from these three sources is held entirely for the contributor, and the fund does not even have to bear its own office expenses. The scheme provides for a pension at the age of 55 years or upon earlier retirement after 30 years' service, and 15 years' membership of the fund, e.g., a nurse who joined at 19 would be eligible for a pension at 49. The pension is l/60th of the salary of the nurse for each year of service, and 30 years' service would entitle the contributor to a pension of 30/60ths or half of her average salary when she retires.

There is also provision that should a nurse wish on finishing her training for her to leave her contributions m the fund for eighteen mouths, and provided she obtains employment with another Board within that time she will retain the benefits of her contribution, and also those paid by the Board and the Government during her previous employment. Should she determine not to return to service under a Hospital Board she may still provide a pension for herself by transferring to the general fund of the National Provident Fund, but this pension is not payable until the age of 60. Post Graduate Course. Since 1923 the Trained Nurses' Association has been actively engaged m stressing the need for Post Graduate education of the nurse. After many ups and downs following the Conference of 1927, the Honourable the Minister of Health announced that the Department of Health, m conjunction with Victoria University College, of Wellington, would institute m 1928 this much-needed course to provide further training for nurses wishing to specialise m Administrative Teaching of Nursing and Public Health Nursing. Prior to this announcement the Association determined to collect funds to form a Nursing Education Endowment; a sum has been already collected and invested, the interest of which will assist this educational movement. Realising that this course was going to assist m the better preparation of their staffs the Hospital Hoards throughout New Zealand m many instances granted a bursary to enable one of their Sisters to take this training, she m turn guaranteeing to return to their employ for two years. The Department of Health similarly selected four of their senior staff requiring the same guarantee from them. The first Post Graduate Class was marked by the great enthusiasm of the students and the ready co-operation given by the various organisations with whom they came m contact for the practical aspect of their work.

The course is now firmly established, the second group commenced work m March of this year, and applications arcin hand for the year following, showing that the nurses themselves recognise the benefit and necessity of further training. Grace Neill Memorial Library. After the death m 1925 of Airs. Grace Neill, our first great leader to whom New Zealand nurses owe the State Registration of Nurses and of Midwives, the Association wishing to honour her memory called for subscriptions, and a fairly large sum was collected. It was then decided that the memorial should take the form of a library m connection with the Post Graduate Course, and the money collected has been spent m books for this purpose. Several donors who were associated with Airs. Xeill personally have also made gifts to this library. Already it is proving a great asset to the nursing profession, and it is hoped this will be increased as the years go on, so perpetuating the work of this noble woman. The Training of Maternity Nurses and Msdwives. The Nurses' and Midwives' Act, of 1925. altered the scheme of training for midwives. Prior to this .Vet, trained nurses, to enable them to sit for a midwife's certificate, served a term of six months, and untrained women one year. Under the new regulation > midwives are to have a longer and more intensive training, the previous training enabling the student only to be registered as a maternity nurse. This means now that: 1. A trained nurse with six months' training registers as a maternity nurse. 2. A trained nurse with eight months* training registers as a midwife. 3. An unregistered woman with one year's training registers as a maternity nurse. 4. A woman with one year's maternity training plus one additional year's experience with twelve cases m private practice and four months post graduate training, registers as a midwife.

The Association has been very, very interested m this new scheme, and has not whole-heartedly supported it, feeling that a better plan would have been to have lengthened and intensified the original midwifery training without having created a "maternity nurse/ This interest, together with the difficulties experienced m carrying this system of training into effect, has caused the whole subject to come before the Nurses' and Midwives' Registration Board for further consideration shortly. The Matron's Conference. For many years the Association had realised that the Matrons of the various Hospitals throughout the Dominion were suffering from the great disabilities due to their isolation as m no town m New Zealand is there more than one General Training School. A move was made largely through the activities of the Matron of the Wellington Hospital, the late Miss Stott, supported by the Association, to bring about a Matrons' Conference. Finally m June, 1927 this Conference was held m Wellington at the Hospital, the majority of the Matrons of New Zealand attending. They recognised how invaluable a Conference of this nature was, and at the conclusion passed a resolution thanking the Hospital Boards of the Dominion for permission to attend, and m many cases for paying their travelling expenses. The result of this Conference was that a Matrons' Council of the Hospitals of New Zealand was formed, and m future will meet biennially. Reorganisation of the Activities of the Association. In 1927 at the meeting of the National Central Council m Wellington it was decided to follow the working principle of Associations m other countries and develop within the Association sections dealing with Nursing Education, Public Health and Private Duty. The scheme has only been m operation one year and much has yet to be done m organising these sections, but at the last Annual Conference m Dunedin m 1928,

already by the type of remits sent forward from these committees for discussion, it was seen that this movement had stimulated new life within the organisation. Associate Student Membership. At the last Annual Central Council Meeting m Dunedin m 1928, it was decided to admit as associate members nurses m their third year of training hoping thus to interest the younger nurse m the objects of the Association and increase the membership m the future. Kai-Tiaki. In 1923 the Xew Zealand Nursing Journal, which up to this date had been the private property of Miss Maclean, the Editor, was taken over by the New Zealand Trained Nurses' Association ; Miss Maclean was retained as Editor, and a Managing Committee was elected to control the finance of this magazine. This year marks the twenty-first birthday of the Journal, it has continued to be published quarterly, and has been greatly valued by the nurses m New Zealand. The question of increasing the publication to a bi-monthly one is at present under consideration. Nurses' Memorial Fund. At the conclusion of the Great War, Xew Zealand nurses wishing to establish a National Memorial to those nurses who were lost on board the transport " Marquette," m the Mediterranean m 1916, and to those nurses who died during the 1918 influenza epidemic, decided to collect money to found a " Nurses' Memorial Fund," the interest of which would be expended m assisting nurses m times of difficulty such as a severe illness. * At the present date a sum of £23,000 is invested, several private bequests have been made to the fund, and to assist it many of the nurses for some years now have given a small amount annually when paying their yearly subscription. Residential Clubs and Bureaux. The majority of the Residential Clubs and Bureaux for Nurses doing private duty are owned and supported by the

Association, m whose district they are established. Although the amount of work for private nurses fluctuates here as m other countries, the clubs have been kept busy and financially are a success. Other Activities. During the winter months the Association, by organising lectures generally given by Medical Practitioners of the district, hope to keep their members m touch with new developments m medicine. A great deal of time is spent by the Council of each branch m protecting

their members' interests, legal advice being occasionally resorted to.

In planning for the future the New Zealand Trained Nurses are undertaking a campaign to increase their membership, and to widen their activities so as to interest nurses of all types. In our young country with a small scattered population our problems are many and often not easy to solve, due to these reasons, also to the fact that our community is not a wealthy one. However, taking courage from the example of what our leaders m the past accomplished, we are determined to keep our place m the van of the nursing world if possible.