Earlier today, the hospital announced it would bring in a strategy for dealing with violent patients after nurses threatened to strike following weeks of escalating emergency room violence.
The most recent attack was on Sunday when a man threw pieces of concrete at the waiting room, smashing four windows and terrifying staff and patients.
Monash Health media manager Suzana Talevski said the hospital would implement a protocol mid-year to deal with aggressive and violent patients and visitors, and immediately increase the number of security guards in the department.
ANF Victorian branch assistant secretary Paul Gilbert said it was a very positive response to nurses’ concerns.
“We will be recommending that at this stage they don’t exercise the powers to cease work under the Victorian workplace health and safety laws,” he said.
Dandenong nurses will meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss the new safety measures.
Source: heraldsun.com.au
