asked the Minister for Health what steps his Department are taking to alleviate the acute nursing shortage, particularly of staff nurses, in Irish hospitals; and if he is aware that many wards are closed due to the shortage of nurses.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nursing Shortage.
7.
While the employment pattern of trained nurses in Irish hospitals is marked by a high degree of mobility and consequently much activity by way of recruitment, there is no evidence of an acute nursing shortage, particularly of staff nurses, as suggested by the Deputy. I am not aware that any wards are now closed due to a shortage of nurses even though the staffing problem in three or four Dublin hospitals may be difficult at times.
Is it not true that certain wards in Dublin hospitals are closed down in the guise of being redecorated while the real reason for this is that there is a shortage of nurses and the wards cannot be kept open?
I have no information to that effect.
8.
asked the Minister for Health what plans, if any, are before his Department to relieve nurses and student nurses of non-nursing duties in Irish hospitals.
While a number of bodies concerned, including the Irish Nurses Organisation, have recommended that staff nurses and student nurses should be relieved of non-nursing duties by the employment of ward assistants or orderlies there are no general plans in hand in my Department to achieve this. My Department have over the past few years encouraged health authorities who expressed an interest in this question to try out pilot schemes. So far as this idea has been taken up, it has not met with much success because most of those recruited went on to take up nursing as soon as they had the opportunity.
One of the many reasons for establishing health boards and later the regional hospital boards is in order to provide modern management and introduce work study so as to review the whole problem of nursing duties.
In recommending all hospitals to appoint nursing committees, I had in mind productive recommendations not requiring in-depth studies where obviously needed changes could be made relieving nurses of unnecessary duties.