H.—3l.

The findings of the study so far carried out during the year were referred to the Tuberculosis Committee of the Medical Research Council, and it is hoped during the coming year to issue a pamphlet covering various principles in the avoidance of tuberculosis. Apart from the more efficient medical supervision of the nurse, better teaching in personal hygiene and better supervision of nursing technique in general can do much to reduce nursing as a hazardous profession. The Department intends to continue this study, as it is realized New Zealand has still much to accomplish in the field of investigation. Nursing Education. In conjunction with the Education Committee of the New Zealand Registered Nurses Association, a study of the nursing technique as carried out in children's wards was made during the year by means of a questionnaire, followed by a suggested technique being circularized to all training-schools and also published in Kai Tiaki. It was found that there were so many points raised that it was decided to continue the study for a further year. . , An essay competition was introduced, open to all second- and third-year nurses in training, the committee's obiect being to stimulate the preventive aspect of nursing liach hospital was responsible for the selection of its own winning essay, a prize in the form of a book being awarded to the winning nurse in each hospital. The winning essays from the various training-schools were then submitted to the committee in Wellington, the final selection being left to an independent judge. The wmning hosnital was awarded a trophy in the form of a silver Florence Nightingale lamp. The subject of this year's essay was " Nursing Technique and its Importance as a Link m Preventive Medicine. Many of the essays showed marked originality of thought and good teaching, and it is the hope committee that this inauguration will serve a useful function. Public Health Nursing. For some years past it has been apparent that the district nursing services in our urban areas while overlapping income directions left gaps in others. It will take time to really reorganize and co-ordinate thp various services but a beginning was made during the year by regrading the school nurse of the , I ! (- '„+ nurse and giving her wider functions so as to cover some of the existing gaps. Also £f toSta to ha. bccome more ...ablished Ate, m»h comutetion . family record card and a tuberculosis card have been drawn up, and it is hoped, using this record system as a basis, to build up a more co-ordinated service. In the rural areas the work of the district nurses this year has been particularly difficult owing to the severe and widely spread measles epidemic. Among the Maoris, where the disease had been practically unknown before, the severe sickness-rate (and even death-rate) was heavy, and the staff generally had a most worrying and difficult year. To those who are apt to be discouraged owing to the difficulties of Native work, I am sure that the following table will prove most encouraging. It shows what a rapid increase of young life is taking place among the Maoris. In this country, where we need population, surely we will do much ior the future of our Dominion if we can assist these young New-Zealanders to develop as healthy, resourceful Age-distribution of Maori-European Population. Percentage of Total Population. Under Twenty-one Under Fifteen Years of Age. Years of Age. »«• • .... 57 47 Maon 33 25 1 European Return of District Nurses' Work. Total number of nurses, 49. Europeal , Maori. Total number of individuals treated 2,174 58,008 Total number of treatments given .. •• • • Maternity cases — ggg Confinements .. • • • • • ■ ' • . ggg During puerperium .. • • • • • • Complicated maternity cases .. • • • • • • Maternal deaths Ante-natal and post-natal ___ Number of ante-natal cases •• •• •• ' Number of post-natal cases Infant-welfare — Number of infants seen .. •• •• •• 24'631 Number of attendances .. •• •• •• •• Number of visits paid to Maori settlements.. .. •• io,o*o Schools visited — With doctor . • • • • • • ._. ■. 09, \ Without doctor 2 ' dM 1,320

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