THE HEALTH OF STUDENT NURSES
SIR,—In your note The Student Nurse's Status you refer to an estimated shortage of "still over 40,000" and suggest that the Whitley Council "will find much more to do." One matter which should be comprehen- sively tackled is the care of nurses' health in training years. Many parents have lost confidence and are influenced by a widespread belief that there is an unduly high sickness rate in the nursing life. Therefore, they take no chances and steer school-leaving daughters into other channels of employment.
It seems to be nobody's business to ensure a universally high standard of watchful care concerning the human material working in our hospitals. While some units are beyond reproach in their endeavour to counter inevitable hazards and to build up resistance by good food, good living conditions and general care, there are others (and too many) which have not ensured that senior members of their medical staff have this question under frequent review. Now that both feeding and pay have been improved for nurses, attention should be turned to the chronic over- tiredness which is still too often considered to be an integral part of the nurse's lot. If your readers, Sir, would make it their personal business to look into this question in their own localities, our new Regional Boards and Hospital Management Committees might achieve a "new look" upon
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