The Labour Party and the Nursing Profession

1927 1927 1920s 40 pages 9 admission. Eighteen is the usual age for special, cottage and fever hospitals. The following table summarises the information on this matter obtained by the Committee:- Table I Minimum Age of Admission HOSPITALS 17 18 19 20 21 General Hospitals— Londo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: MacDonald, James Ramsay, 1866-1937 (contributor)
Institution:MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Language:English
English
Published: London : The Labour Party (London : Co-operative Print. Society Ltd.) [1927]
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10796/C68572E7-AE60-44DD-BC6F-2E281EFC4BC9
http://hdl.handle.net/10796/C7A21302-08BA-45C8-88CB-73B1F95B9C56
_version_ 1771659906746679298
author MacDonald, James Ramsay, 1866-1937
author_facet MacDonald, James Ramsay, 1866-1937
author_role contributor
description 1927 1927 1920s 40 pages 9 admission. Eighteen is the usual age for special, cottage and fever hospitals. The following table summarises the information on this matter obtained by the Committee:- Table I Minimum Age of Admission HOSPITALS 17 18 19 20 21 General Hospitals— London........................ — — 1 1 6 Scotland and Provinces ... — 1 8 7 — "Cottage" .................. 2 20 — — 2 Poor Law Infirmaries— London........................ — — 9 1 2 Scotland and Provinces ... — 1 7 5 — Special Hospitals ............ 1 6 2 — — Fever Hospitals ............... — 29 3 — — TOTAL ................ 3 57 30 14 10 MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. All of the hospitals require a medical certificate showing that the candidate is in good health. Sometimes this is supplemented by a special dental certificate ; sometimes a medical examination is given at the hospital itself. SOCIAL QUALIFICATIONS. The great majority of the hospitals make no social distinction in the choice of candidates. Some specify that the girl must belong to the "middle-class." A children's hospital asks that the candidate be a "gentlewoman" and another that she be a "lady." The social groups from which the probationers in the "cottage hospitals" come may be guessed from a statement of one of the matrons who said her recruits were "chiefly children's nurses or superior maids." It is a practical impossibility for the hospitals to exact a formal requirement for "social position" because of the shortage of probationers. As one matron in a fever hospital expressed it: "We get nurses of the best social position we can, but we find a great difficulty in getting nurses at all." In all cases, candidates must submit references vouching for their "good moral character." EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS. None of the hospitals insist on any preliminary training in the principles of nursing. Educational requirements are very vague. In the vast majority of cases nothing more definite is specified than a "good" education. In some general hospitals, a secondary school education is necessary for admission ; in others, a secondary school education is "preferred," but not absolutely necessary. The vast majority of the Poor Law Infirmaries will accept a candidate who has had elementary school framing (VII Standard), if supplemented by evening classes. Some will accept a candidate who has only been to an elementary school, or whose education is vaguely characterised as "ordinary" or "fair." PROBATION. If the candidate is accepted she enters upon a period of probation, during which time she must satisfy the hospital authorities as to her fitness to become a nurse. In most cases, a three months' probation is required. Three hospitals required two months, two — four, and one — six. The smaller hospitals tend to shorten the period to two months, or sometimes even one. The large London hospitals specifically explain that the probationer is given a course of preliminary training before taking up ward duty. 126/TG/RES/X/1036A/14
geographic UK
id HEA-415_fc06a9afe0204d21bd6c061ee042df97
institution MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
is_hierarchy_title The Labour Party and the Nursing Profession
language English
English
physical TEXT
publishDate [1927]
publisher London : The Labour Party (London : Co-operative Print. Society Ltd.)
spellingShingle MacDonald, James Ramsay, 1866-1937
Transport and General Workers' Union
Hospitals and nursing, 1924-1946
Health care
Nursing--Law and legislation--Great Britain
The Labour Party and the Nursing Profession
title The Labour Party and the Nursing Profession
topic Transport and General Workers' Union
Hospitals and nursing, 1924-1946
Health care
Nursing--Law and legislation--Great Britain
url http://hdl.handle.net/10796/C68572E7-AE60-44DD-BC6F-2E281EFC4BC9
http://hdl.handle.net/10796/C7A21302-08BA-45C8-88CB-73B1F95B9C56