Contents -

Editorial
A Matter of Money
Around the Hospital
Miscellany
Nursing News

EDITORIAL

We regret our non-appearance for the last two weeks, and apologise to those contributors whose material is held over again this week due to the severe restriction in available typing time.

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A MATTER OF MONEY

The object of this present exercise - I am not presuming to give my effort a literary title - is to focus attention on an important psychiatric nursing role which has been neglected, I think, both by the main body of ethico-nursing literature and by the educationalists who devise our nursing education system.

The role I refer to is concerned with the distribution of patients' monies and kind purchases at ward level, particularly where the recipient patients are incapable of appreciating the value of what they receive, or the amounts to which they are entitled.

In recent years, due to the rapid and considerable growth in the amounts of monies payable to patients, the responsibilities of nurses in this area have become more demanding and more complex.

There are two features of the present situation about which charge nurses and sisters have become particularly concerned. The first cause for concern is the fact that no accountancy system has been evolved which gives adequate protection to both the nurses and the patient. The second source of current professional anxiety is the fact that modern nurse training, including management training, does not equip the nurse to cope with the sophisticated - though imperfect - accountancy systems which they are expected to use.

There must be someone, or there should be someone, at some level of nursing management with the responsibility of devising a simple accountancy system which gives adequate protection both to the patient and the nurse.

If there is, and I hope there is or I am wasting my breath, I would respectfully offer the following tabulated suggestions which I hope may prove to be of some value.

1. Management courses for nurses should include basic instruction on business methods and accountancy systems.
2. Invigilation methods should be devised in which the invigilator is not junior in rank to the person who makes the payment. A system of junior invigilation is likely to be inefficient and is nearly always invidious. It is inefficient because junior nurses rarely understand the responsibilities of invigilation, and is invidious because where there is a sloppy procedure payment in operation the conscientious invigilator can easily earn a reputation of being difficult to work with. Being difficult to work with, or having such a reputation, can mean frequent ward changes for the invigilator plus progressive deterioration of his promotion prospects. Junior invigilators, as anyone who has scaled the highest promotional peaks knows, are wiser if they put prudence above efficiency in their scale of values.
3. The system of accountability should involve the Unit officer to the same degree as the sister or charge nurse.
4. The system of daily distribution of kind purchases should be devised by the Unit officer and should provide for the involvement of every member of the ward nursing staff. It may be noticed that I have not mentioned the medical or lay staff, or the social workers, in the above recommendations. These omissions are deliberate. Getting our own house in order should be our exclusive concern. Should we by default leave this task to others we make them a gift of our professional independence.

C. Breslin.

AROUND THE HOSPITAL

FLORAL DANCE

A Floral Dance, for Patients and Friends, is to be held in the Recreation Hall on Monday, 23rd April. 1973, at 7p.m., with the co-operation of the League of Friends.

"GANG SHOW"

It is hoped to put on a "Gang Show" production in the Recreation Hall in the near future. The date has not been finalised as yet.

UNION NEWS

C.O.H.S.E.

At a recent meeting of the full Staff Side of the Nurses and Midwives Council, and at a subsequent Joint meeting, agreement was reached within the Government's pay formula for increases to all salary grades of nursing staff.

The settlement was on the basis of an increase of £1 per person, plus 4% of the appropriate point on the salary scale, with a minimum increase for adults, i.e., 21 years and over, of £102 per annum.

There will be no increase to lodging charges on this occasion. The operative date will be the 1st April, 1973.

A special meeting of the Confederation's National Executive Committee was held on Monday, 2nd April, 1973, at which the Confederation's negotiators were instructed to oppose the settlement on the above-mentioned basis. These instructions were carried out, but nevertheless a settlement was reached, as stated above..

Further details will appear on the Trade Unions Notice Board when received from the General Secretary.

B. McAuley,
Branch Secretary.

TECHNICAL NURSING LIBRARY

New books available on loan -

'Handbook for Psychiatric Nurses' - B. Ackner

'Play Activities for the Retarded Child' - Carlson and Ginglend

'Observing Children Who Are Severely Subnormal' - M. Stevens

'Pharmacology for Student and Pupil Nurses and Student Pharmacy Technicians' - B.R. Jones

Nurse Teaching Dept.

EXHIBITION OF WORK

The Art Department (Male Gymnasium) has staged an exhibition of patients' work in the County Library, Holes Lane, Woolston from 4 April to 27th April, 1973. Local comments have been very favourable and further exhibitions have been suggested. It is hoped that groups of patients will be escortod to view.

B. Naylor

WARD COACH TRIP

In spite of the weather Ward 35 spent an enjoyable day at St. Annes last Friday. Because we were confined to the coach, due to adverse weather conditions, we toured the Fylde and at times stopped to watch the television in the coach. Later we had a wonderful meal in the St. Ives Hotel which was thoroughly enjoyed by both patients and staff. At the request of one of the patients, Ethel Peattie, we called on Mrs. Prescott, a former nurse, who now owns a boarding house at Blackpool. We then made our way back, stopping at a pub in Bamber Bridge, where an organist played and decorative sandwiches were served. Our ladies had a wonderful time, singing the old songs, and were amused by the coach driver and staff.

I should like to take this opportunity of thanking Mr. Kennerly for his blessing on our efforts; Nurse Bailey, without whose hard work, organisation and detail such a successful trip would not have been possible; also the ward staff from their co-operation; and not least the driver for his wonderful approach, attitude and sense of humour in making our ladies laugh (nothing was too much trouble), and Barry Cooper's Coaches for their invaluable assistance.

P. Prescott
Pupil Nurse.

JOINT CONSULTATIVE STAFFS COMMITTEE 1973-74

The period allowed for the return of nomination forms by staff wishing to serve on the Joint Consultative Staffs Committee for the next twelve months expired on Monday, 2nd April, 1973, at 10.30 a.m.

By that time ten nominees had been proposed for the eleven seats on the Staff Side. In no section did the number of nominees exceed the number of seats available and so no elections were necessary.

The membership of the Staff Side of the J.C.S.C. is now as follows:-

ARTISAN STAFF	Mr. J. Shaw Mr. D. Flood	(Painter) (Fitter)
CLERICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF	Mr. A. Making (1 seat vacant)	(Higher Clerical Officer)
DOMESTIC, FARMS AND GARDENS STAFF	Mrs. D. Porter Mr. C.P. Evans	(Telephonist) (Fire Safety Officer)
NURSING STAFF	Mrs. M. Moon Mr. T.P. Flaherty Mr. D. McKendrick	(Deputy Sister) (Charge Nurse) (Charge Nurse)
TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF	Mr. R. Bruton Mr. B. Naylor	(Asst. Education Officer) (Art Therapist)

The first meeting of the newly-appointed Staff Side took place on Wednesday, 4th April, 1973, and the following staff were proposed as members of the J.C.S.C.'s two Sub-Committees:-

Nursing Staff Sub-Committee

Mrs. M. Moon	(Deputy Sister)
Mrs. W. Terry	(Ward Sister)
Mr. B. McAuley	(State-Enrolled Nurse)
Mr. B. Nugent	(Student Nurse
Mr. J. Shaw	) Ex-Officio
Mr. D. McKendrick	)  "   "

Communications Sub-Committee

(Charge Nurse)

Mrs. M. Milner	(Higher Clerical Officer)
Mr. R. Bruton	(Assistant Education Officer)
Mr. T. Flaherty	(Charge Nurse)
Mr. B. Naylor	(Art Therapist
Mr. E. Potts
Mr. J. Shaw	) Ex-Officio
Mr. D. McKendrick	)  "   "

J. Shaw continues as Chairman and D. McKendrick as Secretary of the Staff Side.

At the Wednesday meeting it was agreed to submit the following items for inclusion on the agenda for the full J.C.S.C. meeting:-

1. Review of Previous.Year's Business.
2. Garages on Hulme Estate.
3. Telephones on Infirmary wards.

Items 1 and 2 were held over from last month, when no meeting took place.

The full meeting of the Joint Consultative Staffs Committee will take place on Wednesday, 18th April, 1973.

P.C.

THANKS

Following further reorganisation of the 'Firm' and 'Unit' System many wards are no longer part of Units with which they have been associated since the system was introduced eighteen months ago.

Because of this, we have been asked to publish the following items:-

'May I thank the staff of wards 39 (Female 8 Up) and 46 (Male 8 Down) for their support and co-operation during the time when they were part of Unit 10 (Psychogeriatric Unit).

E. Critchley,
Unit Officer.

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AROUND ME N.H.S.

LONG SERVICE AWARDS AT RAINHILL

Rainhill recently adopted the policy of recognising long service by making presentations to all staff who have worked there for 25 years or more. In the first such presentation the eighty people who received vouchers represented more than 2,000 years of service to the hospital.

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NURSING NEWS

Welcome to:

	Mrs. H.S. Page	Pre-Student
	Mrs. D.K. Parkinson	N/A
	Mrs. F.M. Cox	S.E.N.
	Mrs. M. McLouglin	N/A
	(who is already an established member of staff, having worked previously in the Staff Dining Room).

Congratulations to:

G. Moriarty promoted to Deputy Sister.

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