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The department has continued to co-operate with the nurse training schools in Nurse
providing student nurses with theoretical and practical instruction in personal and training
communal health and the social aspects of disease.
Day nurseries
Nurseries
The number of nursing and ancillary child care staff employed in day nurseries at the
end of the year was 1217. Of these, 276 were students training for the examination of
the National Nursery Examination Board. Arrangements continued whereby student
nursery nurses from nursery schools exchanged with day nursery nurses to enable them
to gain experience with children 0-5 years of age and to give the day nursery students
a wider experience of children between 2 and 5 years of age. Facilities were provided
for nursery assistants and nursery nurses to attend at senior and supplementary child
care reserve courses arranged by the Education Department. A number of nursery
matrons attended the short refresher course arranged by the Royal College of Nursing
and a number of deputy matrons attended a specially arranged course. During the
year there was a slight increase in the number of girls who, on completion of their day
nursery training, applied for transfer to residential nursery posts.
Residential
nurseries
The recruitment and selection of all nursery students for residential nurseries continued
to be undertaken in the department.
Although it was still difficult to recruit the more mature type of nursing staff, the
position in regard to existing staff became more stabilised, and it was possible to reduce
the number of nurses engaged from nursing agencies during the year.
Special boarding-schools and children's homes
Recruitment to the nursing service in boarding schools and children's homes improved
slightly during the year. The use of non-resident part-time nursing staff was extended
and enabled the Council to have the services of experienced nurses who might otherwise
have been lost to the profession. By the careful placing and use of trained staff it was
possible to reduce the calls made upon the divisional nursing staff for ' Out County
relief work'.
School camps
Three national holiday camps were open from March to the end of October. Six school
nursing sisters were seconded for duty with the parties of London schoolchildren sent
every fortnight during this period.
Large welfare homes
It has now been possible to appoint permanent members of the staff to fill 43 places on
the approved establishment of these homes. Early in the year following the dense fog
there was an increased amount of illness occurring among the old people. As difficulty
was still experienced in obtaining admission to hospital, this placed a great strain on the
nursing staff who responded splendidly to the additional work involved. The good
liaison with the officers of the welfare department has been maintained.