Almost half of nursing staff based in the community have been subjected to abuse during the last two years according to an RCN survey.
63% of nurses across all settings reported that they had faced abuse in the last two years with 44 % of lone working nursing staff feeling that the risks had increased over the last two years. It has been suggested that this is due to increased pressures on the workforce, with limited resources, fewer staff and more work. Other possible causes include increase in work out of hours, and substance misuse issues and antisocial behaviour.
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the RCN, urged employers to take the safety of community nurses seriously.
A further 45% of these staff said that nothing was done to address the victim's complaint when the issue was raised.
Dr Carter said: 'The NHS simply could not keep going were it not for district and community nursing teams visiting patients at home. This is a crucial element of the NHS of the future, which will need to focus on keeping an ageing population well, at home and out of hospital.'
A further 50% of staff said that they have felt vulnerable at work, with a further 10% saying that they feel vulnerable often. Concern has been raised that this could have a negative impact on staff morale, and may increase the chances of nurses leaving an already understaffed workforce.
The survey also found employers' policies to be problematic, with just 22% of respondents stating that their managers always knew where they were when they were working alone in the community. The RCN says that this raises 'serious concerns about how they could seek help if they were the victim of a serious attack.'
Dr Carter added: 'Sadly, it seems that the safety of staff is something that is subject to compromise when money is scarce. This is an utterly false cost saving – not only do staff often need time off following physical injury or assault, but the risk of stress and burnout is severe and can continue into long term absence.'