H—3l

Bursaries have been given to 20 nurses to undertake Plunket training and to 11 nurses to undertake the Post-graduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing. In addition, nurses entering the service undertake the introductory course for District Nurses, receiving salary during the period of this course. The record of the year's work shows a steady increase in the work accomplished. There is a marked increase in the number of infant and pre-school visits, largely due to the extension of the diphtheria immunization service. The school work also shows a marked increase over the previous year, when there was so much school closure during the early part of the poliomyelitis epidemic.

Table 19 —Comparative Summary of Work Undertaken by Public Health District Nursing Service

District Nursing The bedside care given by Hospital Board District Nurses also is expanding as more doctors and patients realize the value of this service. From experience'it would appear that one nurse can care for up to 6,000 population, provided the area is fairly closely settled (as in a city or town), that she is equipped with a car, and that the hospital has an adequate number of beds. Where the town or borough is smaller in population, a nurse does not have sufficient to do unless she has other duties. Hospital Boards have been advised to send new nurses to undertake the introductory course for District Nurses, and in consequence a good system of records and procedures is gradually being adopted.

40

Year Ended Year Ended 31st March, 1948. 31st March, 1949. Maori. European.'" Maori. European. School work— Hours spent in school work 5,179 29,669 5,704 39,072 Number of schools visited with S.M.O. 47 1,360 199 2,128 Number of schools visited alone 3,170 11,625 3,403 15,080 Number of visits to homes of school-children 26,475 21,274 30,452 27,691 Number of visits to homes of pre-school children 27,060 21,585 30,728 24,696 Tuberculosis control — Number of visits to homes 17,863 17,413 16,824 17,886 Number of cases seen at home 11,042 9,354 12,163 9,618 Number of contacts seen— Adults • 14,294 12,351 14,415 12,150 Children 22,857 9,510 26,506 9,453 Maternal and infant welfare— | Ante-natal cases seen 8,362 2,132 8,717 2,382 Confinements attended 82 12 88 21 Number of visits during puerperium 1,433 45 1,167 120 Infants seen at home or clinic 49,924 19,407 50,112 27,507 Attendances and treatmentsNumber attended at cottage or office 17,214 16,009 17,822 18,965 Number in own home .. .. 42,800 21,740 39,051 26,062 Total number of homes visited for any purpose 132,965 90,693 137,188 102,707 Number of inoculations 19,221 16,382 20,813 16,904 Social welfare cases 2,828 665 2,820 1,097 Pas or settlements visited 18,369 4,956 15,558 6,724 Lectures given— To school-children 1,219 4,954 1,333 5,152 To other groups 373 254 190 292