1,156 of the 2,397 nurses and midwives in the survey of QLD Nurses and Midwives Union members said they had experienced violence in the three months before the 2016 survey – a 40% increase on 2001 – the Brisbane Times reports.
The report also found violence was worse in aged care facilities and remote and regional hospitals than in major cities and large regional centres.
Just 25% of respondents said they felt they could complete their jobs “satisfactorily”, with that number higher in aged care.
QNMU secretary Beth Mohle said both staff levels and skill mix was critical to dealing with the issue of violence in aged care, especially in regards to dementia.
“In a Brisbane metropolitan hospital, even though it’s still [an] issue in there, you have access to security staff and the like...you don’t have that in aged care facilities and in rural facilities quite often,” she said.
It is not a good trend, particularly when many regional and remote operators are already struggling to recruit staff.
