Assaults on psychiatric nurses up 47%

PSYCHIATRIC nurses were attacked more than 1,250 times last year — up almost 50% on 2001, a survey revealed yesterday.

In a report on violence against medical staff, the Psychiatric Nurses Association detailed attacks in which workers were stabbed, bitten, kicked and punched and had bones fractured and teeth knocked out.

Blood-filled syringes, fire extinguishers, pool cues, chairs and crutches were used as weapons, the report noted.

Des Kavanagh, PNA general secretary, said the study, the first for four years, was an indictment of the Department of Health and Children and health service employers.

He said psychiatric nurses were fed up with the lack of protection from the state.

“The members of this union are sick and tired of broken promises by Government, abject failure by employers and the continuing deterioration in the safety or our workplaces,” he said.

The PNA assault survey for 2005 found,

* The total number of assaults reported was 1,257, a rise of 47%.

* Some 64 nurses took sick leave for more than three days after being assaulted, while 38 took more than a week off.

* There were five nurses off sick for more than six months as a result of an assault, while 18 were on sick leave for all of 2005.

* The total number of nurses who required more than three days’ sick leave to recover from an assault in 2005 was 141, up 11%.

The survey showed the most dangerous place to work was St Otteran’s Hospital, Waterford.