Nurses are some of the front liners when it comes to dealing with patients. But how safe are they when they are dealing with violent mental health patients? A case in Auckland, New Zealand can prove that nurses face danger danger when taking care of patients with unstable mental problems. A nurse has been stabbed while visiting a mental health patient in South Auckland.
One of the two nurses conducting a routing home visit to a male patient in Otahuhu on Saturday was stabbed. The suspect/patient is now in the custody of the police, as reported by spokeswoman for Counties Manukai District Health Board, Lauren Young.
Luckily for the nurse, she is not badly hurt and received stitches. The nurses recalled how the patient suddenly became aggressive and attacked them. The two nurses fled after he suddenly pulled out a knife but one was caught and gets stabbed.
Meanwhile, the nurse is about to be discharged today after series of examinations showing that she is in good and stable condition, as confirmed by the NZ Herald. MDH spokeswoman told reporters that a review into the incident has been launched and investigations are taking place.
Senior Sergeant Miles Horsnell of the Counties Manukau District Command Centre said that police were called to respond to an incident on Brady Road, Otahuhu yesterday evening. He added, "Following an incident there, we have arrested a 25-year-old male who has been charged and will be appearing at the Manukau District Court tomorrow. He's been held in custody. He's been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm."
Health care professionals being attacked by their patients are not new in the scene. There are a lot of cases pertaining to this and the question is, how safe are the nurses and doctors when it comes to dealing with patients who have mental disorders? According to a study by Ashleigh Anderson and Sara G. West, violence against health workers by their mental patients is a growing concern in the society.
Subsequently, they reported in the study that according to the United States Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey conducted between 1993 and 1999, the annual rate of non-fatal, job-related violent crime was 12.6 per 1,000 workers in all occupations. Among physicians, the rate was 16.2 per 1,000, and among nurses, 21.9 per 1,000.
Furthermore, for psychiatrists and mental healthcare professionals, the rate was 68.2 per 1,000, and for mental health custodial workers, 69 per 1,000. They are recommending that health care workers to be equipped with the proper knowledge and skills in dealing with assaults and attacks in order to safeguard not only their safety but for their patients as well.