H.—3l.

A scheme of this nature will necessitate fresh legislation to enable proper control during training, the establishment of a register for these women so as to give them a proper professional status, and to ensure protection for the registered nurse in the future. In view of the fact that there is general concern over the shortage of competent housekeepers and that the last census showed there were no less than 740 untrained women carrying out private nursing duties in the Dominion, it would appear that there is a definite need for a scheme of this kind. (4) In view of the necessity for keeping the registers up to date, as a Practising Certificate has not been feasible so far, it has been decided to clear the active register again during the coming year. It is essential to know how many nurses are available and, owing to the constant changes which take place and the failure of nurses to notify this Office, it is difficult to keep the registers up to date. (b) Business Arising from Reports — (1) Forty-four reports covering the inspection of general, maternity, and midwifery training schools were received by the Board and appropriate action taken. This has resulted in three additional maternity hospitals being approved as trainingschools for maternity nurses, the approval of Rotorua Hospital as a part-time training-school, and the cancellation of Waimate Hospital as a part of the trainingschool of Timaru Hospital; also the application of one small hospital to be approved as a training-school being refused. (2) Reciprocal agreements with South Africa, Ontario, Victoria, and the Central Midwives Board of England were considered. (3) The reports submitted by experienced nurse examiners concerning the Practical Nursing Examination show that this has met with general approval and has certainly assisted in emphasizing the importance of detailed nursing technique. (4) Registration by virtue of terms of reciprocity was granted to thirty-four overseas nurses, of whom twenty-five were Australians. (5) Following on reports submitted to the Board, disciplinary action was taken in regard to two nurses. A conference of the Matrons of training-schools was held in Wellington in November, the agenda for which covered matters pertaining to the teaching, health, and general welfare of their nursing staffs. This meeting, which has been held annually for the past three years, has proved most useful, as it has given the Matrons an opportunity of hearing of experiments being tried and of voicing their own difficulties. Two very important developments during the year have been (а) The introduction at Waikato Hospital of the system of block teaching. By this system nurses are withdrawn from the wards at the termination of each year of training for a period of six weeks. During this time all the medical lectures for the ensuing year are given and for the remainder of the year the nurses only have clinical nursing instruction accompanied by nursing revision by the Tutor Sister. To enable this to be done an additional preliminary class was taken at the commencement to supplement the staff. The system has only been in operation a little over a year, but already the Waikato Hospital authorities consider that it has definite advantages. The nurses are fresher, as they are freed from their ward duties while they are having their heavy course of medical lectures, and in consequence it has been possible to develop different forms of teaching with much freer discussion. It will be most interesting to watch this experiment in New Zealand. The system has been commonly followed in Scandinavian countries for some years. There is only one hospital University College Hospital—in England which has introduced this system, and that was only one year ago. (б) During the year the New Zealand Registered Nurses' Association, partly on the advice of the Hon. the Minister of Health, has introduced a Student Nurses' Association as an associate group to the main organization. The organization of these student groups is yet in its infancy, but if properly organized and advised student nurses will have an opportunity to study their own problems and help in the control of their own group. Student government in some degree has become a feature of the life of all residential University colleges the world over and forms the school in which responsiblity is acquired. For this reason any means which will help in the development of initiative and a sense of responsibility in the young nurse is to be encouraged. In many Canadian and American hospitals a very large measure of control lies in the Students' Council, and the Matrons in charge of these hospitals feel this movement has been most beneficial. One or two English hospitals have also developed a slightly modified scheme and have found it of great assistance. 0 The girl leaving school is accustomed to the prefect system, and this is just a continuation of that system on broader lines. Hospital Inspection. Visits of inspection paid to hospitals emphasize the fact that the standard of nursing technique being demanded in turn requires equipment and staff. The majority of hospitals are crowded, largely due to the fact that so little building has been done for some years, plus the increased use of the hospitals

5—H. 31.

33