MORE THAN HALF of nurses and midwives have experienced aggressive or threatening behaviour at work.

In a survey conducted by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), one in five respondents said they’d been subjected to physical violence in the workplace.

The INMO carried out the survey in advance of their annual conference in Wexford, which begins today and will be attended by the Minister for Health.

Around 350 members are meeting to vote on what positions and steps the organisation should take on issues such as staff shortages, as well as the aging workforce, housing, and staff and patient safety.

Fears around safety dominated the survey results, with staff also expressing concerns for patients.

Some 72% of respondents said their current staffing levels and skill mix did not meet the required clinical and patient demands in their work area.

Over 90% expressed concern about compromised patient safety, and almost half (48.76%) of respondents reported that they felt pressured to work additional hours or shifts in order to make up the staffing shortfall.

The pressure is making nurses and midwives second guess their career choices, as 61.51% said they had considered leaving their current job in the past month, with workplace stress cited as the primary reason.

Almost 40% reported that their work negatively impacted their psychological wellbeing ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’.

One in four have attended their GP due to work-related stress.

INMO President Caroline Gourley said it’s “not realistic or fair to expect people to keep going into work in these conditions, putting their physical and mental health at risk for their work”. 

They are stretched to breaking point trying to keep patients safe in an unsafe working environment and their own health and wellbeing are suffering as a result. 

“Our members’ goodwill is not a substitute for effective workforce planning.”