asked the Minister for Health what steps are being taken to implement the International Labour Office recommendation to undertake systematic measures to apply and extend work study and occupational research and job analysis in the nursing field; by whom such work is being done; and the results achieved to date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment of Nurses.
20.
No recommendation has been made by the International Labour Office specifically on work-study, occupational research and job analysis in the nursing field. The Deputy's question may refer to the report of the ad hoc meeting on conditions of work and employment of nurses, convened by the International Labour Office and which was held in Geneva from 6th to 11th October, 1958.
That report, which covered in a general way most aspects of nursing, was submitted to the governing body of the International Labour Office and a decision was taken at the 141st session held in Geneva, in March, 1969, to transmit the report to member countries for circulation to the employers' and workers' organisations concerned. In so doing the governing body made it clear that they were not expressing any opinion on the content of the report.
Copies of the report when received in my Department were circulated to the following organisations: (i) The County and City Managers Association, (ii) The Hospitals Commission, (iii) An Bord Altranais, (iv) Irish Nurses Organisation, (v) Workers Union of Ireland, (vi) Irish Transport and General Workers Union.
I should point out that I have decided to set up in this Department a work study unit for the benefit of hospital services generally.
Can the Minister explain why his Department stopped the City and County Managers Association and stopped the Hospitals Commission from carrying on such an investigation and undertook, several years ago, to set up the kind of unit which the Minister is now promising? Why did the Department abandon such an investigation? Will the Minister now ensure that this investigation is put in train immediately with a view to seeing whether or not, by increased efficiency, an 80-hour fortnight could be given to nurses without additional cost?
The Deputy is talking about a specific condition. We have asked An Bord Altranais to examine a number of matters in relation to conditions of employment of nurses including the nurse-patient ratio. They are undertaking that study. I am afraid I do not remember the list of things we have asked An Bord Altranais to study. In addition, I am starting in my own Department a work study section in order to see if hospital costs can be kept to a minimum, consistent with good service, and, above all, to see how far nurses can be enabled to do their work with less difficulty and less burden upon them.
Is the Minister aware of the urgency of a work study on the nursing profession? At the moment, in certain specialist hospitals in Dublin, nurses have to prepare meals for patients. This has nothing to do with what they were trained for. Many hours of a nurse's day are spent in doing ancillary jobs which bear no relation to the skill of nursing.
The Deputy should know the answer to that question. I cannot get involved in this kind of controversy. The Deputy should know very well that An Bord Altranais have not agreed to the employment of nurses known as state enrolled nurses, who have a lower degree of training than present registered nurses. Many hospitals employ additional aides whom they cannot describe as nurses and who do work not as skilled as that done by nurses who are properly registered. This is a varying position throughout the country. It would be quite impossible for me to decide that a second grade of nursing could be employed, without the consent of the nursing profession.
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