By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
LATEST: Nurses have called off their threatened walk-out from Dandenong Hospital emergency department after breakthrough talks with Monash Health yesterday morning.
Australian Nursing Federation state assistant secretary Paul Gilbert said nurses would today discuss Monash Health’s decision to immediately increase the number of security guards and to introduce a protocol for dealing with violent, unarmed people in the hospital from July 1.
“This is a very positive response to the emergency department nurses’ extremely serious concerns for their safety.”
Mr Gilbert said the union was recommending the nurses don’t go on strike.
A Monash Health spokeswoman said managers were ‘‘progressively implementing’’ recommendations from a 2011 state inquiry into violence against nurses.
She said Dandenong Hospital was ‘‘in the process of working with staff’’ to introduce a Code Grey protocol — dealing with violent, unarmed people — by mid-year.
‘‘Dandenong Hospital is committed to a compressive approach to security with the implementation of even more CCTV and security personnel.
‘‘Monash Health looks forward to working with staff and stakeholders to ensure an even safer workplace environment is achieved.’’
As reported by the Dandenong Journal on Tuesday afternoon, Australian Nursing Federation issued an ultimatum to Monash Health that nurses would strike if Monash Health did not agree to bolster security in the department by noon today.
Australian Nursing Federation members had demanded increased security, including for two dedicated security guards 24 hours a day at the emergency department and for clear protocols for dealing with unarmed and armed aggression against nurses.
It comes after a series of violent incidents at the emergency department including its waiting area being evacuated when a man threw concrete through the windows on Sunday. In recent months, a nurse was demoted for tackling an aggressive intruder, a nurse had part of her breast bitten off and another was threatened by a knife.
Mr Gilbert said a pair of guards currently patrolled the entire hospital.
‘‘They move around doing their rounds or go together if there’s an issue in any of the wards. So at any one time there are either two or none at the emergency department.’’
Nurses demanded the ‘‘immediate start’’ of at least two specifically-trained security guards in the emergency department, two for the Clayton campus’s acute mental health unit and two other guards for the rest of Dandenong Hospital.
“Nurses are saying enough is enough,’’ Mr Gilbert said.
“If Monash Health is unable to agree to these measures by midday on Thursday then the elected health and safety reps, in consultation with the ANF, will issue a direction to cease work in the emergency department because of the imminent threat to health and safety.”
He said 12 recommendations from a 2011 state inquiry into emergency department safety had not been implemented at the hospital.
At the inquiry, a Dandenong Hospital emergency nurse submitted that her and colleagues were bitten, punched, slapped and had objects thrown at them by patients: “They pull their IVs out and throw bloodstained cannulas, sharps — any kind of weapon they can get their hands on, such as chairs — at the nursing staff.”
