Nick Howson was left in a \u201cheap on the floor\u201d after being assaulted at work and suffering a rib fracture in April.<\/p>\n
In most other workplaces, the police would be called and a full investigation conducted. <\/p>\n
At Mr Howson\u2019s workplace, it barely raised an eyebrow. <\/p>\n
Australian nurses are being assaulted at unprecedented rates, in what experts are saying is the result of cost of living pressures and a lack of consequences. <\/p>\n
A damning report released by industry union the NSW Nurses and Midwives\u2019 Association (NSWNMA) in March revealed that almost one in five nurses have been threatened with a weapon, while almost half have been either punched, slapped or kicked. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The percentage of nurses, midwives and carers who have experienced violence in their job has risen from 80 per cent to 88 per cent in just six years, with nurses saying the abuse is pushing people out of the job.<\/p>\n
Mr Howson, who is also a union delegate, works in the mental health unit at Cumberland Hospital where assaults are a regular occurrence, saying he was back at work \u201ca couple of days\u201d after receiving the rib fracture.<\/p>\n
Do you have a story? Contact sarah.keoghan@news.com.au<\/p>\n
He said the assault came after a drug-affected patient believed he and a colleague were talking about him. <\/p>\n
Before even having a chance to de-escalate the situation, the patient threw a punch at Mr Howson. <\/p>\n
He was asked whether he wanted the police called, but decided against it. <\/p>\n
\u201cI ummed and aahed about whether I should. The gentleman was very, very unwell. I sort of looked at it \u2026 and just thought it was just a rib fracture. It wasn\u2019t broken,\u201d Mr Howson said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI had a couple of days off but thought, well, there is nothing you can really do about it. So I\u2019ll just go back to work.\u201d <\/p>\n
Nurses treated like punching bags <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the first time Mr Howson has been punched at work \u2013 and he said it won\u2019t be the last. <\/p>\n
He has also been bitten, and even ended up in hospital for spinal precautions six months into the job in 2018 after a patient threw him over a wall by his throat.<\/p>\n
Mr Howson\u2019s biggest issue is the \u201cdismissive\u201d attitude from NSW Health, who he said are approaching the issue in the \u201cwrong way\u201d. <\/p>\n
The NSW union\u2019s survey revealed that 68 per cent of nurses had experienced violence and didn\u2019t report it \u2013 believing that it would result in zero consequences or prevention in the future. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very reminiscent of the old sort of old-fashioned views around women, well, if you dress that way, it is naturally going to happen, you invited it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t invite violence and aggression by being healthcare workers. We should be trying to minimise the opportunities and the reasons behind that aggression, not just hand-wave it away.\u201d <\/p>\n
He said even in his area, the local police command had pushed back against nurses reporting violence as it would increase their workload. <\/p>\n
\u201cNobody except other people who work in the profession realises how prevalent it is,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that someone gets aggressive, you do what you need to do, and then you go next door and suddenly you\u2019re talking to the nana who\u2019s vomiting in a bag, and you\u2019ve got to switch between these modes.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople just don\u2019t realise because it happens behind closed doors.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hornsby Hospital nurse and union member Ellie Peach told news.com.au she believed a nurse will have to be killed for real change to be implemented. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think someone is going to die,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve already had the paramedic that sadly passed away, and I think someone else is going to die, and that\u2019s what it will take for things to change.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Just last week, Ms Peach said she was called a \u201cfilthy sl*t\u201d by a patient, had been spat on and has experienced recurring nightmares about being choked in triage. <\/p>\n
\u201cI get sworn at every day,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you get resilient, but resilience can only be pulled so far before the string breaks.\u201d <\/p>\n
Union boss furious over \u2018disconnect\u2019<\/p>\n
NSW nurses union boss Michael Whaites said a huge attitude shift is needed when it comes to violence against nurses. <\/p>\n
He said there is now an expectation that nurses will just cop abuse from the public as part of their jobs. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a massive disconnect between the way the nursing and midwifery workforce is treated,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got a system where they\u2019re dealing with one traumatic event after another \u2026 That can\u2019t go on. There\u2019s got to be a break.\u201d<\/p>\n
In May, the NSW Government announced it would be bringing in one to four ratios for emergency departments, medical surgical wards and post-natal wards, but Mr Whaites said ratios need to be brought in more broadly \u2013 particularly in aged care. <\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the state government also introduced a taskforce to advise on ways to enhance safety across the NSW public health system, and also ensured security staff have the authority to direct and escort individuals from hospital premises. <\/p>\n
Mr Whaites fears it will do little to give nurses the support they need to speak up when violence occurs. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that there is a zero tolerance for violence, but actually that needs to be enacted,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Separate EDs reduce code blacks<\/p>\n
One measure being experimented with in hospitals across Australia is the introduction of separate wards for patients with behavioural issues. <\/p>\n
The \u201cSafe Assessment Rooms\u201d or \u201cPANDA Units\u201d (Psychiatric, Alcohol and Non-prescription Drug Assessment) have been found to reduce code blacks \u2013 a threat to the personal safety of a healthcare worker \u2013 by up to 50 per cent. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
St Vincent\u2019s Hospital in Sydney was the first to trial the PANDA system in 2020, with Prince of Wales Hospital and Nepean Hospital following suit. <\/p>\n
Construction of a similar unit has been announced for Westmead Hospital and is set to be completed in early 2027. <\/p>\n
The solution <\/p>\n
Australia is facing a shortfall of more than 70,000 nurses by 2035, as healthcare staff continue to walk away from their jobs. <\/p>\n
News.com.au has compiled a list of possible solutions \u2013 directly from the nurses themselves \u2013 to how we can improve their working conditions.<\/p>\n
Right now, each state and territory has its own EBA, meaning nurses in some states are being paid less than others. <\/p>\n
It means as pay rates change, many nurses move interstate for better pay or conditions. <\/p>\n
Nurses are calling for improved equal pay across the board, as well as free parking for healthcare workers at their own hospitals. <\/p>\n
Staff are also calling for mandated 1:4 national ratios across all wards and aged care facilities, which includes a mixed skill element. <\/p>\n
Right now, most states have 1:4 ratios in hospitals during morning shifts. However, often just one senior nurse is left with three inexperienced nurses, putting pressure on the system as a whole. <\/p>\n
Nurses are also calling for better mental health support, given the increasing rates of abuse they are facing, and are seeking fully subsidised private therapy sessions as a result. <\/p>\n
Governments say they are addressing crisis<\/p>\n
In response to news.com.au\u2019s series into the nursing crisis, the federal government responded by saying they had recently developed a \u201cNational Nursing Workforce Strategy\u201d which had demonstrated \u201cthe Government\u2019s commitment to supporting and strengthening the nursing workforce\u201d.<\/p>\n
The strategy includes the development of leadership and anti-racism programs, as well as initivatives to grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing workforce.<\/p>\n
\u201cA key focus is growing and retaining the nursing workforce Australia needs now and into the future. It includes actions to support career development, leadership, workplace wellbeing and flexible career pathways, helping more nurses stay in the profession,\u201d a spokesperson for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing told news.com.au.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for NSW Health said the state government had worked to increase the nursing workforce by more than 10 per cent between June 2023 and June 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cNSW Health recognises and is deeply thankful for the outstanding commitment of our<\/p>\n
dedicated and skilled nurses who provide high-quality, safe and compassionate care<\/p>\n
to the people of NSW every day,\u201d the spokesperson said. <\/p>\n
Get in touch with our investigative reporter. Sarah.Keoghan@news.com.au <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nick Howson was left in a \u201cheap on the floor\u201d after being assaulted at work and suffering 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