Union Wants Stab Vests for New Zealand Nurses

Nurses march in protest along Queen St in Auckland, New Zealand on June 9, 2021. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Mental health nurses may soon be equipped with stab-proof vests and personal alarms following the stabbing of a nurse in New Zealand during an after-hours callout in December.

She was a member of the acute mental health response team and was attending an incident in Rotorua.

She has since been discharged from the hospital after undergoing surgery and is recovering at home.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and the Public Service Association (PSA) are calling for a full investigation into the incident, which occurred amid warnings that police withdrawal from mental health callouts has left first responders in danger.

Police have cited resource constraints, stating that attending these callouts interferes with their ability to respond to crime.

In response, Health NZ issued three new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), authorising staff to use “reasonable force, proportionate to the circumstances” as a last resort.

Measures include telling the person they cannot leave, obstructing their exit, or using physical restraint.

Increasing Aggression

Separate surveys by both unions revealed that 90 percent of mental health workers feel less safe due to reduced police presence.

Several senior nurses authorised to assess and detain mental health patients have relinquished those powers over safety fears.

NZNO mental health nurse and delegate Mitchell Mclaughlan said the December stabbing was a random event but noted a worrying trend:

“We are seeing escalating aggressive behaviours in the community,” he said.

“More members of our society are presenting as highly distressed due to their social and financial situations, increased drug use, along with a swell in anti-social behaviours.”

Rotorua mental health staff have requested a review of the incident with Health NZ management to discuss additional security measures.

“We want to discuss whether extra security measures such as personal alarms or stab-proof vests should be worn from now on by nurses and kaiāwhina [health assistants] working in mental health,” Mclaughlan said.

Union Demands

NZNO Mental Health Nurses Section Chair Helen Garrick emphasised the need for systemic change.

“We shouldn’t accept that nurses have to deal with such a level of violence they need stab-proof vests,” Garrick said.

“However, I understand mental health nurses are fearful and looking for solutions. They need to be safe when they’re attending callouts. With the Police proposing withdrawal ... nurses are being left increasingly vulnerable.”

PSA Health National Sector lead Sue McCullough linked the issue to underfunding.

“Devastating incidents like this highlight the consequences of the Government’s relentless health budget cuts,” she said.

“Incidents like this have lifelong impacts and need to be prevented.”