Physical Assault Policy .

[wannie]

I am wondering how many Aged Care Facilities has a policy on Physical Assault . I was working at one where I was assaulted by a senior registered nurse . I went on work cover and wrote on the workcover form what actually happened to me . Under my doctor I received assistance from a clinical psychologist who had majored in trauma and also saw a psychiatrist who dealt specifically in major traumas and post-traumatic stress disorders for which I still suffer from to this day . I also had a lawyer acting for me as this company eventually manipulated the insurer to change the original diagnosis. What I asked for from management was a copy of the policy on physical assault which I received reluctantly from the manager of the facility. One thing was that this policy was vague , hadn't been changed or updated in 11 yrs , to my knowledge still hasn't but they were looking into it "soon", management refused to implement the current policy on the senior registered nurse when it stipulated in the policy that it was "manditory " to dismiss this person on the spot .
I eventually received a payout from my compensation insurer which was far less than I asked for and got sacked because I questioned legitimately that the management and head office including the CEO did not follow their own policies and procedures and that the senior nursing staff were immune to any complaints made against them.
Has anyone else found this to be ?

[Administrator]

Hi there wannie - are you able to please post your topic in the Staffing and Workplace issues forum please - I'll try and move this one across to there in the meantime...

(update: moved...!)

thanks,
admin.

[Maria]

Let me guess, you were a care worker ? I've recently found that RN's in aged care can get away with just about anything, because they are RN's. Got to have so many RN's to a care facility even if they break every policy/procedure in the book!!
Shocking!!

Maria

[Nurse Rosie]

Did you report this assault to the police Wannie and if not, may I ask why not? Physical or verbal/mental abuse is never acceptable.
Maria please don't tar all aged care RN's with the same brush. I find it insulting.

[wannie]

I contacted the police afterwards and they were not interested . I also had a " meeting " with the director of nursing and the deputy director of nursing plus the RN concerned and it went to head office as the management of the facility had to get head offices approval on what to do.
The management of this facility had no power to do anything against this RN .
In the public sector the police are called straight away . No ifs or buts . The person is escorted off the premises and stood down and is charged with assault . Not the victim .
In Aged Care there is no such thing.
It gets hidden away in the " Head Office " to make it go away or the victim to leave .
No issue of assault is resolved as the perpertrator is still working .
Nurse Rosie it is up to the employer to get the police in as the assault occurred on the work premises not off the work premises . Any other industry the police would have been bought in straight away . Why not in Aged Care ???
The answer is quite simple and that Aged Care is self regulated . It is why all the providers get away with a lot of things . I had my Certificate 111 in Aged Care and Community Services Certificate . I also was the most experienced of all the staff as I had nursing experience in Palliative Care as well . None of the RN's at this facility had any palliative care experience .
There are a very small percentage of caring people that work in Aged Care Nurse Rosie . The rest should not be working in this industry as they abuse the trust of the residents and other staff.