First report of Nurses salaries committee : salaries and emoluments of female nurses in hospitals.

  • Great Britain. Nurses Salaries Committee.
Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First report of Nurses salaries committee : salaries and emoluments of female nurses in hospitals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/42 page 6
    B. GENERAL. g. Recommendation of the Athlone Committee.—This is the first com- pletely national Committee appointed to draw up scales of salaries and emoluments for nurses. In some other professions machinery has long existed for settling salaries. The appointment of the Committee followed a recom- mendation made by the Athlone Committee in its Interim Report, published in December, 1938, that a Committee analogous to the Burnham Committees for the teaching profession should be instituted for the nursing profession. The following quotation is taken from paragraph 15 of that Report: — “It is essential, however, to make it clear that we contemplate that, whatever scales of salaries may be ultimately established, they should show a marked improvement over the scales at present in operation, and should approximate to those in force in other comparable spheres of employment. We are not yet in a position to give detailed statistics relating to the salaries paid to nurses throughout the country, but from the evidence put before us it is clear that, having regard to the great responsibilities of their work, nurses as a class are badly underpaid, even when the value of their emolu- ments—that is, the board and lodging with which they are provided when serving in hospital—is taken into account... . : Nursing is, to the best of our belief, the only profession in which the principle that the maximum salary is more important than the minimum is ignored. It is fundamentally wrong to attempt to attract recruits of the proper type by offering initial salaries which are high by comparison with those offered to the trained nurse. The entrant to the profession who intends to make a success of her work and remain a nurse is naturally more interested in her prospects than in the immediate reward.’’ This was written four years ago. The salaries of nurses have materially improved since then but the recommendations which we make show that we are of opinion that a further substantial improvement is necessary. It is true that scales of salary at the present time differ considerably in different hospitals, but the adoption of our proposals will mean a considerable improve- ment in the financial position of the great majority of female hospital nurses in the country. | to. It is relevant at this point to make it clear that, in addition to the salary a resident nurse receives, she is provided with her emoluments, that is, board, lodging, laundry, and in many cases free uniform; and it is cus- tomary for nurses in hospitals to receive free medical treatment and attend- ance during sickness. They also enjoy in the great majority of hospitals superannuation rights, towards which both the hospital authority and the nurses contribute. 11. Guiding Considerations.—In considering the questions referred to us, we have been guided by three main considerations, which to some extent affect each. other: — (a‘ The basic consideration has been—what is a fair and appropriate remuneration for the nurse, having regard to her proper status, the nature of her work and the responsibilities devolving upon her? We had to consider these matters in relation to each category of nurse—matrons and assistant matrons, with their responsibilities for all nursing questions; sister tutors, who are responsible, under the matrons, for the training of the student nurse in accordance with the regulations of the General Nursing Council and upon whom, therefore, the knowledge and skill of the nursing profession in the future largely depend; ward sisters, who are looked upon by manv as the key nursing staff in the hospital; and finally the State
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