Nurses Who Work With Fear Of Attack

More than one in three nurses working alone in the community has been assaulted or harassed in the past two years, according to a new survey. The study, by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), found that more than half thought the threat of violence or abuse had increased over the period.

It has led to calls for the Scottish Executive to act quickly to fulful its manifesto commitment to extend the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act to protect healthcare staff in communities.

Launching its You’re Not Alone campaign, RCN Scotland urged employers to support staff by providing information to help them assess risks before visiting patients and investing in devices that help nurses call discreetly for help.

Theresa Fyffe, RCN Scotland director, said: “We welcome the executive’s commitment to extend legislation so that all healthcare workers are protected by the Emergency Workers Act.

“Such a move will send out an important message to nurses working in the community that their safety is just as important as staff working in hospitals. I hope the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing can find some time early in the next parliamentary session to deliver on that commitment.”

The survey also found that more than eight out of 10 (85%) nurses in the community spent more than a quarter of their time working alone. More than half (53%) also said they worked outside usual office hours.

Around two-thirds said an Identicom kit, together with 24/7 monitoring and training, would increase their confidence to work alone.