asked the Minister for Health what is the present position regarding the request of Dublin Health Authority and other responsible organisations that recognition and training of State enrolled nurses should be provided to help combat the growing shortage of nursing staff.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Enrolled Nurses.
5.
My Department received representations from Dublin Health Authority for the establishment of a grade of nurse similar to that of the State enrolled nurse in England in order to ease nurse staffing difficulties in some of the authority's institutions. The question of introducing a second grade of nurse is a matter for decision in the first instance by An Bord Altranais. The matter has been examined at considerable length by An Bord which has decided against the introduction of this grade of nurse at the present time.
Certain measures have been taken by my Department and by An Bord which should help to ease any nursing shortages which have arisen in geriatric institutions. These include the payment of a special allowance of £40 a year to nurses employed full-time on the institutional care of the chronic sick, the granting of increments to married nurses and the making of an arrangement whereby general nursing students will do part of their training in geriatric units or institutions. It is too early yet to say what effect all of these measures will have on areas where shortages have arisen.
On 16th October, 1970, I received a deputation of members and officials of the Dublin Health Authority and the question of introducing a new grade of nurse was discussed. I agreed at this discussion that this question would be further examined as part of a general examination of means of easing staffing difficulties in the authority's institutions.
Is the Minister aware that, notwithstanding the additional benefits which have been made available, the Dublin Health Authority have a number of beds unoccupied for the simple reason that they have not got available to them the necessary nursing staff? Will the Minister make a new approach to An Bord Altranais on this matter so that the human suffering which is inevitable because of a shortage of nursing staff will not be allowed to continue? Will he ensure that this inevitable development occurs before it is too late?
As I have said, I discussed this whole question with the Dublin Health Authority, with An Bord Altranais and with the Irish Nurses Organisation at great length. I would say there was a considerable degree of disagreement of opinion in regard to whether having a State enrolled nurse with two years instead of three years training is something we would wish to encourage in this country having regard to the fact that we have a total surplus of nurses in training because nursing is a great Irish vocation. I have had advice given to me by people equally qualified in the matter. It is a most difficult problem to resolve. At the moment, as the Deputy knows, the Dublin Health Authority are employing some State enrolled nurses recruited directly from their training in Great Britain. I am examining the matter as quickly as I can but it is not an easy problem to solve.
Is the Minister aware that five of the 12 fever hospital wards in the city are closed due to a shortage of nurses in the Dublin area? Has he given an instruction that trainee nurses should be channelled not only into the geriatric wards but also into fever hospital wards to try to relieve that situation?
I have already indicated that certain steps have been taken which should result in a greater number of nurses being available in the, I am glad to say, still few hospitals in the country where there are acute shortages of nurses. I am hoping that the arrangement for providing geriatric training for student nurses, which will not have its effect until some time between now and April, I think, will also have the effect of providing nurses for geriatric cases under the Dublin Health Authority.