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Staff
At the 31st December, 1969, the staff consisted of:—
1 Superintendent of the Home Nursing Service.
1 Deputy Superintendent of the Home Nursing Service.
30 Whole-time Home Nurses (female) — S.R.N. and District
Trained.
1 Part-time Home Nurse, S.R.N.
3 Whole-time Home Nurses (male) — S.R.N. and District
Trained.
5 Whole-time Home Nurses (female) — S.E.N. (not District
Trained).
5 Part-time Nursing Auxiliaries (female).
Organisation
Seven Nurses and five Nursing Auxiliaries left during the year.
Recruitment of trained staff, S.R.N. and S.E.N., has been maintained
with a high percentage of married staff. Considerable difficulty, however,
has been experienced in the recruitment of suitable Nursing
Auxiliaries. This has improved with the provision of car allowances.
Nursing Auxiliaries are vital members of the Health team with one
auxiliary working with a group of nurses. Her duties are mainly
bathing, dressing, getting up and putting to bed elderly patients who
do not require nursing care. In spite of the 3,851 visits undertaken
by auxiliaries, the nurses still undertook 8,780 visits that did not really
require the expertise of a trained nurse. It is hoped that in the forthcoming
year, with an increase in auxiliary staff, this number can be
decreased.
Training of District Nurses
This Authority continues to be an approved training area for the
practical part of the district nurse training leading to the National
Certificate of District Nurse Training. Four nurses successfully completed
their district training and three are still working for the
Borough. The husband of the fourth student was transferred by his
firm to another area.
Visiting Hospital Staff
Forty-eight Nurses from the Wimbledon, Nelson, Wandle Valley
and Wilson Hospitals spent a morning with the District Nurse observing
the operation of community services.
General Practitioner Attachments
Eight District Nurses are now attached to groups of General
Practitioners, an increase of seven in the last year. Plans for further
attachments are under discussion. General Practitioners have been
full of praise for the work of their attached nurses. Their work loads
consequently increased in number and in the variety of cases referred.
It is anticipated that with planned hospital discharges following selective
surgery, their work will increase even more.
Post-Graduate Courses for District Nurses
During the year six nurses attended residential refresher courses
of one week's duration and three attended non-residential courses
lasting one day.
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