Emergency department nurses at New Zealand’s Wellington Hospital are bearing the brunt of assaults and abuse from drunk patients, according to new research. University of Otago researchers found drunk patients are having a negative impact on staff workload and safety, and are also affecting other patients.

The small exploratory study, published in The New Zealand Medical Journal, surveyed 47 ED staff, including nurses, doctors, ambulance officers, radiographers and receptionists. It found more than half of the staff had been assaulted by drunk ED patients, with nurses having the highest exposure.

Researcher Dr Fiona Imlach Gunasekara said many of the nurses interviewed felt threatened by intoxicated patients and reported high rates of physical and verbal abuse. “They were more likely to bear the brunt of attacks, and those who are physically smaller feel more threatened and intimidated,” she said.

“When there is not hospital security available, nurses often have to call the police to deal with violent patients.”

One nurse told researchers while dunk patients had a right to be treated, ED staff also had a right to a safe work environment. “If you assess someone and they’re breathing, talking, yelling and going to physically hurt you, then they’re probably just as safe in a police cell as they are waiting in the emergency department,” the nurse said.

Dr Imlach Gunasekara said ED staff reported more young people aged 12-14 presenting at ED since the country’s drinking age was lowered while there were more alcohol related presentations from Thursday to Saturday nights and after rugby matches and music concerts.

She said nurses also had to deal with other patients distressed by drunk ED patients. “One interviewee told us they have patients crying at the triage nurse because they don't want to be in the same area as the intoxicated patients,” she said.

The study found most staff also believed drunk patients increased ED workloads, overall waiting times and the triage scores of patients.

Researchers believe the findings are likely to be similar in other EDs across the country.