news
Workplace violence
rising in Queensland
Researchers say there is a perceived
lack of action by managers
to curb the problem.
A
bout half of Queensland’s nurses and midwives said they
experienced workplace violence in the three months prior
to a survey of state union members.
This is up from about 40 per cent reported in 2001.
The survey of 2397 nurses and midwives, conducted by several
Queensland universities and the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’
Union (QNMU), found violence against nurses and midwives was
worse in aged care facilities and in hospitals in outer regional, remote
and very remote areas than in large regional centres and major cities.
Research lead and CQUniversity professorial research fellow
Desley Hegney said patients, clients and residents were the most
frequent perpetrators.
“Relatives were more frequently the perpetrators in the
acute public sector than in other sectors, maybe reflecting the
demographics of the patients,” Hegney said.
“However, in aged care – public or private – there was very little
difference.
“After patients and relatives, doctors and other nurses/midwives
were more frequently the perpetrators in the acute private sector.”
Hegney said there should be concern about the perceived lack
of real action by managers to curb this rising problem.
She said a partial solution would be to limit patients from leaving
the ward, especially at night, in case they accessed drugs or alcohol.
Other measures suggested in the study included adequate staffing
and better security equipment, facilities and procedures on wards,
and that people be held more accountable for acts of violence.
Staff also wanted appropriate resources to ensure safety when
they are away from the clinic. Hegney said: “The bottom line was
that they wanted more education and training – face to face –
and more security such as personal duress systems, cameras, and
people being charged who were behaving badly.”
QNMU secretary Beth Mohle said the union is working hard
to identify and implement solutions to prevent violence in the
workplace but needs community support. “We take care of our
patients, clients and r esidents, but we need the community to take
care of us too.” ■
Ending the cycle of violence
Provider given grant to prevent violence
towards CALD workers.
Representatives from Southern Cross Care (Vic) and the Multicultural
Centre for Women’s Health. Photo: Southern Cross Care (Vic)
T
he violence prevention efforts of an
Australian not-for-profit aged care
provider have been bolstered by a
grant from the Victorian government.
Through the Equality@Work project,
Southern Cross Care (Vic) and the
Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
(MCWH) aim to develop and implement
a culturally and linguistically diverse
(CALD) specific workplace model to
prevent family violence and other forms
of violence.
Women account for over 88 per cent of
Southern Cross Care (Vic)’s workforce, of
which more than 60 per cent are from a
CALD background.
The executive manager of workforce
and culture at Southern Cross Care (Vic),
Danielle Rose, said as an accredited White
Ribbon Workplace, the organisation is
committed to ending the cycle of violence
against women.
“We will be engaging our White Ribbon
Ambassador to assist in the promotion
and facilitation of the project within the
organisation.”
The model will be co-designed with staff
at Southern Cross Care (Vic)’s community
services office in the northwest region and
its aged care home in Springvale.
Rose said: “Through our partnership with
MCWH, we want to provide opportunities
for women from a non-English speaking
background to take a leadership role in
championing gender equality and violence
prevention, and to be involved in the
engagement and development of a shared
action plan that is meaningful to them.”
Executive director of MCWH Adele
Murdolo said workers from CALD
backgrounds are a growing and
increasingly dominant cohort within the
Australian aged care workforce, and added,
“as such, they are of critical importance to
the sector’s viability in terms of addressing
the need to care for Australia’s ageing
population, which is expected to quadruple
by 2050”.
Southern Cross Care (Vic) plans to adapt
and implement the model across all its
locations in the state. The project is expected
to be completed in July next year. ■
agedcareinsite.com.au
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