Lone working nurses continue to be attacked on duty

Published: 05 January 2012

Over 60 percent of nurses have been subjected to abuse in the past two years while working in the community, according to a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) survey published today (20 December 2011). A survey of nearly 800 RCN members, which looked at lone working, found that six in ten (60.3 percent) nurses had suffered verbal abuse in the last two years, while one in ten (10.7 percent) had been victims of physical abuse.

Nearly half of nurses who responded did not feel that their employer would take action over verbal abuse, while over a quarter were not convinced they would take action over physical assault. The survey also showed that over half (54.9 percent) of nurses are working outside of normal office hours and feel less safe than those working within office hours.

Commenting on the results of the survey, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said:

“I am utterly appalled that nurses continue to be subjected to violence.  Nurses working alone in the community are vulnerable and are often without back up or immediate help close by - out of sight should not mean out of mind. During these dark, winter nights I expect that many nurses may feel even more at risk and this must be addressed as a matter of urgency. No one goes to work expecting to be assaulted and this is all the more upsetting when we consider that nurses are being attacked when they are trying to help people.

“While it is not surprising that respondents felt their employer would be more likely to take action as a result of physical rather than verbal abuse, it is still completely unacceptable that it should have to come to a nurse suffering physical violence before something is done.”

Almost nine out of ten (89 percent) nurses said that their employer had a lone worker policy in place and of those, over three quarters (77.6 percent) had been provided with a copy. Therefore, while some progress has made around lone working policies and prevention strategies over the last four years, there is clearly still more to be done.

Nearly four in ten (38.5 percent) felt that for various reasons, the risks to lone workers have increased over the past two years. These include increased expectations of both patients (73.1 percent) and their relatives/carers (83.5 percent) as well as increasing caseloads (71 percent). Over a third (37 percent) felt that there was also an increased level of substance abuse in the patients they saw.

Dr Carter added:

“It is somewhat encouraging that nearly 90 percent of employers have a lone worker policy in place, however it is concerning that some nurses feel this is nothing more than a tick box exercise. A lack of funding is not an excuse for ignoring the risks faced by lone working nurses. Equally, when cases of physical assault can end up costing up to £20,000, a well implemented policy, assessment of risks and prevention strategy, including the use of specialist lone worker alarm systems, certainly make for a sensible investment. 

“Assaults on staff are never justified, and the worry is that as pressures increase and staffing cuts begin to bite we will see incidents like these becoming a more common occurrence. Employers must take seriously their moral and legal duty to staff and ensure they do all they can to protect them. Equally, I would urge all lone working nurses to consider the risks and act with caution at all times, even if working in a familiar place with known patients.”

Notes for Editors

766 RCN members took part in this survey. It was jointly undertaken by the RCN and Sheffield Hallam University.

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.