The Park nurses demand full staffing and procedure review
Published: 20 October 2009
Nurses at The Park Centre for Mental Health are calling for a joint Queensland Nurses Union (QNU)-Queensland Health review of staffing levels and procedures at the facility, following the serious assault of a nurse on October 14.
The nurses want the review to look at:
- staffing levels;
- the suitability of clients within the facility;
- the suitability of casual staff who are backfilling nursing vacancies;
- the training levels of nursing staff at the facility - including the use of nurses without psychiatric endorsement in permanent positions;
- the allocation of Enrolled Nurse contracts to Registered Nurse positions and the use of Assistants in Nursing; and
- all policies, procedures and workplace guidelines that govern safe forensic psychiatric practice.
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said the nurses at the The Park Centre are extremely concerned for their safety and, like everyone else, they are entitled to feel and be safe at work.
"Unfortunately, there has been no review of staffing arrangements or workplace procedures, despite this client assualting staff on a number of occasions over an extended period of time. So it is time that was done and it needs to be done in conjunction with QNU officials and local branch representatives to ensure it is thorough and transparent. That review needs to start immediately.
"The nurses have also decided to take all reasonable measures in the workplace to avoid dangerous situations and they are fully entitled to do that. Management has no right to make unreasonable request that put staff at risk.
"Queensland Health should immediately notify the police when such assaults occur. It is up to the police to decide if such assaults involve criminal behaviour, not Queensland Health officials," Ms Hawksworth said.
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