International Conference of Nurses

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XXII, Issue 4, 1 November 1929, Page 201

International Conference of Nurses

Montreal, July, 1929

At the Nurses' Club, Auckland, on the evening" of October 2nd, a meeting was held to receive reports from the delegates to the International Council of Nurses.

The official delegate from the New Zealand Trained Nurses' Association, Miss McKenny, was welcomed by the President, Mrs. Tracy Inglis. She then proceeded to give the following interesting account of her experiences.

This is a brief account of the International Conference of Nurses, which opened at Montreal on July 7th, 1929, also the International Hospitals' Congress, held at Atlantic City m June.

The magnitude of the task of conveying to your Association some idea of the work accomplished at these Conventions — their scope and value — seems at this moment overwhelming.

The Canadian Nurses' Association began their preparations for this Congress two years ago — the more immediate intensive preparation six months previously. Representative delegates prepared topics for discussion many months before.

The Government of the Dominion of Canada — the Provincial Government — the City of Montreal, all gave official and financial supoprt to the Canadian Nurses' Association m their colossal task. The number of nurses who registered attendance was approximately 7.000 — many did not register.

A full report of proceedings — official — is undergoing preparation. A cop}- of this will reach you later.

In the meantime, I ofTer you a summarising of some of the conclusions arrived at by Committees and Grand Council of LC.N. I have obtained copies of a number of speeches by outstanding authorities, which will be available later.

I have with me a copy of the I.C.X. programme and the Social Service Curriculum used at McGill University.

Any further information I may have, which is not referred to, I will gladly place at your disposal for your Association.

At Ottawa, on July 3, Canada welcomed delegates to the Congress of the International Council of Nurses, which opened m Montreal the following week. In the beautiful lobby of the Parliament Buildings, Premier MacKenzie King, speaking for the Government of the Dominion, gave to some two hundred delegates headed by Miss Nina D. Gage, President of the Council, a "very, very hearty welcome." Mr. King informed the delegates that he felt the Council had paid Canada and Ottawa a great compliment m choosing the Dominion for their meeting. It was most appropriate, the Prime Minister said, that the first meeting of the Congress should be within the walls of Parliament. Here, the representatives of the people were endeavouring to legislate for the benefit and welfare of the country. Nursing was peculiarly designed for the benefit and welfare of humanity. Consequently the setting was an appropriate one. NURSES' MEMORIAL IN HALL OF FAME. The Prime Minister pointed out, among other things, that the first memorial to be placed m the Hall of Fame had been erected by the nurses m Canada m remembrance of their sisters who gave their lives m the Great War. Members of the N.Z.T.N.A. are greatly indebted to Miss Bicknell, who arranged for a wreath of flowers from New Zealand nurses to be added to those placed at the Memorial m remembrance of Canadian nurses. Many expressions of thanks for this tribute were received by your delegates,

Miss McKenny proceeded to give a short resume of some of the subjects discussed by the Nursing Education Section. July 10th. "The Need of Education m Mental Nursing m a Genera! Nursing Curriculum." The Chairman for this largely attended meeting was Miss Hearder, Matron of Bethlehem Royal Hospital. London. In a remarkably interesting address which later I hope to place before you. Miss Hearder described the work of caring for the mentally afflicted at the hospital known as "Bedlam," founded 800 years ago by Franciscan monks. "Bedlam" is a contraction of "Bethlehem." Modern investigations have caused nurses and doctors to realise that physical disorders and mental disorders are closely allied. Miss Hearder quoted cases remedied by the simple expedient of removal of septic tonsils and teeth. Among treatments, the use of prolonged hot baths is greatly used. Mechanical restraint is rarely resorted to — chemical restraint (i.e., drugs) becoming less and less used. This new use of prolonged baths for sedative effect was urged by a high medical authority on mental care at the Hospital Congress. The need for introducing mental nursing into our general nursing curriculum was justified by the common incidence of early mental cases m general hospitals — then m amenable-to-treatment stage. "That 60 per cent, of cases treated early are arrestable, at least, if not curable, was stated. The high value to patients (and to nurses) of some knowledge of appropriate care was stressed as of value m the care of many physically ill. When one thinks of the number of patients we call "nervous," "neurotic," "hysterical." "neurasthenic, 1 ' "melancholy" m a general ward — and of the helplessness of the average nurse to help them — one is convinced of the value of some psychriatic training.

Sweden, Denmark and other foreign countries, especially Scandinavian, include a three months or more course m mental nursing- m their general nursing syllabus. There, a nurse is not considered fully trained without this instruction and practice. In Xew Zealand it would seem easy to add this important subject by affiliation to mental hospitals. !t is possible to foresee benefit to both mental hospitals and nurses from such a scheme. Of course, instruction without practical experience is of little or no value. In summarising for Grand Council, the meeting resolved: "That instruction and practice m mental nursing is necessary and should be included m every syllabus for general nursing training." Resolutions passed advising post-grad-uate courses m mental nursing be arranged, also refresher courses m this branch of work. July 12th. "Co-operation Between Sister Tutors and Ward Sisters m the Training of the Student Nurse." The discussion on this subject claimed the interest, and attendance, of a large proportion of Congressists, and was considered one of the most important subjects discussed. A very able Chairman, Mrs. Bennie, of South Africa, conducted the meeting. Speakers included delegates from England, Sweden, South Africa, U.S.A., New Zealand, Poland and others. Other matters discussed at this Round Table were: Records of Student Nurses' Progress, Experience Records and Promotions." Many Sister Tutors were present. That the objectives of the Sister Tutor conflict with the main or immediate objectives of the Ward Sister causing at times some difficulty, was affirmed by some Tutors. Others — the greater number — have no such difficulty.

Where the difficulty is non-existent, the Tutor is invariably a Sister of more and longer experience than the Ward Sister. Such a Tutor has, by reason of greater experience m Sister ship and nursing knowledge, an authority commensurate. Often, as m St. Thomas, England, she has assisted m the training of the Sister whose co-operation is willingly proffered

— or at least always available. Such Tutors, of course, are able to carefully evaluate the ward work and reduce to a minimum inconvenience to wards or patients. Also, m large institutions, structural arrangements allow of the use of treatment rooms for individual procedures.

Tutors w r ho found claims of students conflicting with those of wards agreed that: (1) Lack of sympathy with the student often proceeded from lack of sufficient nurses — to carry on both service and study of procedure — hence the pressing needs of service obscured the larger vision. (2) That to gain sympathy with the Tutor's aims needed frequent consultation with Ward Sister and Tutor. That study of procedures and practice must have close supervision of Ward Sisters for success — the Tutor teaching principles, etc.

In general, where the scheme has been longest m operation, most success seems achieved — which seems to indicate, as m other schemes, that time plays a part m stabilising. Also the better both Ward Sister and Tutor is prepared for her special work the better the results.

In recording student's progress the modern method of giving the student full information of the record was almost unanimously approved. Especially m case of adverse reports frank discussion by Ward Sister, Matron, Tutor, was approved. In one school m U.S.A. the services of a medical woman psycho-analyst were used when necessary, with apparently enviable results. Need for a good selection of students was emphasised. In the case of a student found unsuitable for the work, the potential harmfulness to her health as well as otherwise, if allowed to continue nursing, was affirmed.