A recent survey conducted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found more than 60% of nurses working in the community have been subjected to verbal or physical abuse in the past two years.
The RCN believes a lack of funding is not an excuse for ignoring the risks faced by lone working nurses and argues that a well implemented policy, proper lone worker risk assessment and an effective prevention strategy, including the use of specialist lone worker alarm systems are worthwhile investments.
Operating 24/7, more than a quarter of the NHS workforce are required to complete shift work, meaning they will need to travel home during unsociable hours. With less people around, this puts them at higher risk of being attacked.
