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THE alleged attack of a remote area nurse at Wadeye has sparked renewed calls to abolish single-nurse posts in the Northern Territory.
The 54-year-old female nurse was allegedly kicked in the face during a solo house call on Tuesday afternoon.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery NT secretary Yvonne Falckh said attitudes towards nurses — from patients, employers and the government — needed to change.
She said it should be mandatory for all nurses performing call-outs to be accompanied by a second person.
“It doesn’t need to be a nurse — it could be the person who normally drives the ambulance or an admin worker or an Aboriginal health practitioner,†she said.
She said protocols needed to be put in place to ensure the safety of the largely female remote area nurse workforce.
Ms Falckh conceded that abolishing solo call-outs would cost money.
“It may cost dollars, but we’ve got to the point now where we’ve seen some terrible things happen to nurses,†she said.
“We can’t say ‘we haven’t got any more money, so you go and put your life at risk’.â€
She said violence towards health workers was common, not just in remote communities but also in the NT’s hospitals and clinics.
“A nurse has a right to go to work and not to be threatened, bullied and their life put at risk,†she said.
Ms Falckh said the constant threat of violence was driving people away from the profession.
“There are shortages of remote area nurses, and this kind of stuff doesn’t help, particularly if you’re not being backed up by your employer,†she said.
The death of remote area nurse Gayle Woodford, whose body was found in a shallow grave in the South Australian outback in March, prompted an urgent review of health worker safety protocols by NT Health Department chief executive officer Len Notaras.
That review is still underway and is expected to be complete by the middle of the year.
The NT Health Department recommends nurses only attend call-outs with a partner, but there is no mechanism in place to enforce that. Few of the cash-strapped bush clinics can adhere to the policy.
The man charged with the Wadeye nurse’s assault appeared in Darwin Magistrates Court yesterday.
The court ordered the hearing be moved to the Mental Health Diversion Court. He will appear again today accompanied by a translator.
Health Minister John Elferink is overseas and did not respond to questions from the NT News by deadline.
Editorial P12
Originally published as Nurse ‘attack’ sparks safety call