Hospitals must be made safe for nurses to work

Health professionals face daily risk of assault and abuse

SHOCKING new figures reveal more than five nurses were physically, verbally or sexually assaulted every day last month.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said the attacks account for 60% of all assaults in hospitals.

Now there are calls for increased security across all hospital campuses.

Here, INMO General Secretary PHIL NI SHEAGHDHA explains why nurses’ safety must be a priority.

LAST month was a June like no other in the health service. Over 9,962 patients went without a bed in hospitals across the country,

Covid hospitalisations increased by over 300% and 263 healthcare workers were assaulted in their place of work.

Nurses and midwives yet again bore the brunt of verbal and physical aggression in our hospitals with over 160 nurses assaulted.

Over the past year, I have spoken to INMO members up and down the country who have shared with me their experience of being assaulted in the workplace.