Assaults of nurses 'are going up', conference told as INMO calls for legislation on staff levels

General secretary of the INMO Phil Ní Sheaghdha called for legislation on safe staffing numbers to ensure pledges for reform of the health service were met. File picture

Nursing shortages coupled with rising patient numbers have led to heightened stress levels in hospitals, with incidents of aggression now commonplace, nurses and midwives have warned.

At the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) annual conference in Wexford on Wednesday, members warned hospitals had become volatile workplaces. General secretary of the INMO Phil Ní Sheaghdha called for legislation on safe staffing numbers to ensure pledges for reform of the health service were met.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

“We believe this is extremely important. We must get the correct staffing levels,” she told reporters during the conference. “And it is now our view, our strongly held view, that that has to be legislated for. It won't happen otherwise.” 

More than 70% of nurses and midwives say staff numbers in their areas do not match demand, and warned patient safety was at risk, a new INMO survey shows. 

In addition, 55.4% said they experienced aggressive verbal or threatening behaviour at work. One in five experienced physical violence at work. Ms Ní Sheaghdha warned "assaults are going up”.

“The assaults are undoubtedly affected by overcrowding, by the general frustration of people when they attend services to which they're entitled, and they have long delays prior to getting the treatments that they need.” 

Some 72% of nurses said the current staffing levels and skill mix did not meet the required clinical and patient demands in their work area. Among this group, more than 90% expressed concern about compromised patient safety, the INMO said.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha said:

Staffing levels are having a detrimental effect on patient care and a severe impact on nurses’ and midwives’ ability to protect their own health and safety.

The survey also revealed one in five nurses and midwives were going to their GP for work-related stress. “This would be a scandal in many workplaces and industries, but this is the level of sacrifice that is expected from our members and it is simply not sustainable,” she said.

Due to these stresses, 61.5% had “considered leaving their work area in the past month”. In this group, 80.9% said staffing numbers and skills were “inappropriate” for demand in their areas. Some 64.7% now work between one and 10 hours unpaid every month.