Violence affects 25% of healthcare workers
It also found one-in-three received a threat of violence over a 12-month period while about two-thirds were verbally abused.
The findings are the result of an analysis of the Study of Work-Related Violence - the first large-scale investigation of a study of work-related violence within Irish healthcare.
The analysis, presented yesterday at SIPTU’s annual conference in Sligo, was based on the responses of more than 7,000 people across nine occupational groups.
Kevin McKenna, project officer with the Health Service Executive (HSE), said the study also found that 40% of healthcare workers who received training in dealing with violence and aggression did not feel confident enough to use it.
Mr McKenna said the way aggression and violence in healthcare was managed had profound implications for both staff and patients.
“In the most extreme of circumstances, patients have died. We also know that a significant number of staff have retired prematurely because of assaults at work.”
A study of psychiatric nurses over a six-year period to 2002 found that 39 had retired because of workplace violence. The situation in the rest of the healthcare sector was unclear.
Mr McKenna said: “Against this background, it is remarkable that training in this country is unregulated, inconsistent and operates in a complete vacuum.
“We have established that there is a problem and the training response at this moment in time is really a major problem.
“Not only is it unregulated, it does not work.”
Over the past three years, the HSE North-Eastern Area has been involved in an innovative training programme for healthcare staff in the management of aggression and violence.
Mr McKenna said the programme would challenge much of the way training was currently provided.
“It re-establishes the management of violence and aggression into patient care.”
An evaluation of the programme has just commenced and the results will be announced next year.
Meanwhile, SIPTU general secretary Joe O’Flynn said adverse publicity about the accident and emergency & crisis could open up the possibility or privatisation of the services by those with a vested interest in doing so.
“If I have one message for Minister for Health Mary Harney, it is that we want health before greed and health before profit. Healthcare should be accessible to all in need regardless of age, wealth or social status,” he told the conference.
