The Labour Party and the Nursing Profession
1927 1927 1920s 40 pages 7 sharply, but nevertheless quickly. Well, I have been reading one of those books, and its whole point is this: that society is always held together by what the author is pleased to call — but which I do not agree in calling — a "myth,"...
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| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
| Language: | English English |
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London : The Labour Party (London : Co-operative Print. Society Ltd.)
[1927]
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/E2F04EAC-CC9F-4744-92D6-5DB13EA0DD87 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/A59E359F-2DB9-4CCC-B1AA-652790E733E3 |
| Summary: | 1927
1927
1920s
40 pages
7 sharply, but nevertheless quickly. Well, I have been reading one of those books, and its whole point is this: that society is always held together by what the author is pleased to call — but which I do not agree in calling — a "myth," an idea which is valid for the purpose of enabling the machine to go, but which, as a matter of fact, has no substantial existence except in the minds and assumptions of men. I think the Nursing Profession is going through one of those revolutionary changes. I can remember perfectly well when I was the "happily unhappy" inmate of a large London hospital, discussing this question of the Nursing Profession with the kindly lady who looked after my well-being. She was most charming in her simplicity and directness in regarding the Nursing Profession as something like a companionship of acolytes attending in the courts of a great temple. I doubt, my friends, if that spirit, or rather, that particular form of expression, would be manifested to-day. The spirit of it, in its best meaning, certainly I hope will always endure; but what we have to do, I think, is to face the change and try to adapt the organisation, so that the new organisation will give the satisfaction, confidence, and idealism relating to the work which the old "myth" used to do something like 30 years ago when I was a patient at St. Thomas's. Our object is to improve the conditions of the Nurses. The work is onerous, and because they have given their services with such extraordinary devotion in the past no one has any right to assume that much need not be done to show our gratitude, not merely in words, but in a way that will materialise to their advantage. The next thing is to improve status. I am a tremendous believer in status. I would work for 6d. an hour if I thought that my status was good rather than for half-a-crown an hour at the same job if I felt that I was regarded at a miserable hewer of wood and drawer of water. We are apt to lose sight of the fact that, although pay must meet the requirements of life — of course, that is assumed — if we are going to run society well, if we are going to draw forth magnificent effort from our men and women, we cannot pay them in pounds, shillings, and pence. The coin that is the best for exchange of service is not the note or the sovereign, but dignity, respect, and admission to a common fellowship and companionship. We can put that before us as a great ideal that will be fulfilled in society perhaps after we are gone, but it is our duty to make it more real in our social relations than it is now. We want to emphasise that status is just as important for the Nursing Profession as pay itself, assuming, of course, that that pay is adequate for the material purposes for which you desire to have it. I hope the result of the Conference will be that something practical will be done. Our Labour Movement is not a little pettifogging thing, nor is it concerned only with factories, workshops, and mines, very important and essential as they are. We want to readjust social service. We want to have a new spirit and a new mentality in approaching all these problems. We of the Labour Party are not without a respect for the past. We give it historical homage. We are people who look behind us as well as before. We are people who have gratitude as well as hope. We are people who are sensible of the roots as well as of the new growths that demand an outlet in ourselves. So we are just as much interested in the Medical and Nursing Professions as we are in coal-mining or factory work. They are not in the same category, but our interests comprehend them, and the great public services, especially those of health, are as essential to the full and complete conspectus of the Labour Party as any other item. I hope that when you have finished your deliberations you will have given us something that we can work upon for the benefit of the whole community whom you have served with such conspicuous goodness of heart.
126/TG/RES/X/1036A/14 |
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |