Vol. 266 No. 10
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Dáil Éireann debate - Thursday, 28 Jun 1973
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Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nursing ...
asked the Minister for Health the number of (1) qualified nurses and student nurses employed in Irish hospitals and (2) the number of students at present awaiting places; if a recent study has been made of the projected needs of this service in the light of recent policy decisions extending employment opportunities for married women in this service; and if he is satisfied with the present method of recruitment to this profession.
7.
asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the increasing difficulty girls have in securing places as student nurses in Irish hospitals and, in view of this, if he will consider asking An Bord Altranais to set up a central register to assist applicants seeking to pursue a career in nursing.
8.
asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange for a central appointments register for girls interested in nursing as a career.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 7 and 8 together.
I am aware that, for a number of years, nursing as a career has a special attraction for Irish girls. The demand far exceeds the number of places available. An Bord Altranais have responsibilities in connection with the approval of curricula for nurses' training and the number of student nurses in training hospitals, but the recruitment of trainee nurses is a matter for each training hospital. The present method of recruitment appears to be reasonably satisfactory.
I am not clear what the Deputies have in mind in regard to the setting up by An Bord Altranais of a central register to assist applicants seeking to pursue a career in nursing. If the Deputies have in mind a register of the hospitals which provide nurse training, such a list is contained in the career leaflet regarding nursing issued widely by the Department of Labour. If they have in mind a register on which would be entered the names of persons who notified An Bord Altranais that they were anxious to train as nurses, such a list would be of use only if training hospitals asked for copies; but according to my information all such hospitals receive directly more applications than they can deal with.
The approximate number of nursing personnel employed at present in Irish hospitals is as follows:—
Health Board and Voluntary Hospitals
(General and Children's)
Number of qualified nurses—5,650
Number of student nurses—3,500
Psychiatric Hospitals
Number of qualified nurses—4,020
Number of student nurses—1,280
There is no precise information available of the number of persons awaiting places in nurse training schools, as persons apply to a number of training schools in the hope of being accepted by one.
While no specific study has been undertaken of the implications, in so far as nurses are concerned, of the policy decision to extend employment opportunities for married women, the matter is being kept under close surveillance.
Is the Minister aware that there is widespread hardship by reason of the fact that large numbers of girls, who are educationally equipped, have a vocation for nursing, and who want to nurse cannot enter nursing because of the lack of facilities? There are no openings for them in training hospitals.
That is perfectly true. I remember it myself from the days of my early career. Nursing as a career appears to have a special attraction for Irish girls. Unfortunately, the facilities for such training are not sufficient to absorb all the girls who want to become nurses.
Am I to take it that the Minister has no say in the way the different boards recruit trainee nurses? This is relevant to this question. I am referring to a certain board.
An Bord Altranais have functions in relation to the curriculum for nursing training and the number of student nurses appropriate in each training school. That is their function.
Some health boards have suddenly changed their requirements. They now require a student nurse to have the leaving certificate as an essential qualification for training. There were a certain number of girls who had their intermediate certificate.
I would be very grateful to the Deputy if he would ask a supplementary question.
Has the Minister any say in the qualifications? A number of these girls were let go from the hospitals. They had been working in them temporarily for a number of years. Great hardship has been created among them. I know of one hospital where ten girls were let go. There should have been a phasing-out of such girls.
That would increase the problem to which Deputy Pattison referred. Each school is responsible for recruitment and the general educational standard has been that of the leaving certificate. If the necessary qualification was only the intermediate certificate there would be thousands more girls wishing to enter training in these nursing schools.
9.
asked the Minister for Health why training fees of up to 200 guineas must be paid by student nurses selected for training at some Dublin hospitals; and if he will prohibit this practice at least in all approved training hospitals.
The question of fees payable by student nurses in voluntary hospital training schools is a matter for the authorities of the hospitals concerned and I have no power to give them a direction in the matter. However, the salaries now paid to student nurses are such as to enable them to pay fees by instalments, where necessary.
Fees are not payable in health board nurse training schools except in one case and in this instance the fee is repayable on satisfactory completion of the training.
