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August 5, 2026 \u2014 5:16pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n The Queensland Nurses and Midwives\u2019 Union has called for better working conditions and increased health funding, days after the Queensland government celebrated additional frontline staff, and a video of a nurse taking down an aggressive patient went viral.<\/p>\n Of 8000 QNMU members recently surveyed, 82 per cent reported experiencing violence at work. Exposure to racism had also increased since their last survey.<\/p>\n Kat, a senior nurse who spoke to the media outside the QNMU annual conference but asked for her surname not to be used, said she was punched in the face by a patient about a year ago.<\/p>\n Initially, she thought her jaw was broken, and she was left with a large, almost black, bruise for some time afterwards.<\/p>\n Working in the emergency department, Kat said she constantly witnessed violence against her staff.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s devastating. Every time I go to employment, the possibility of one of my staff members getting assaulted is quite high,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The union said staff often blamed themselves, or worried they had initiated the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cI can tell you, in my case, I did not [initiate it],\u201d Kat said. \u201cI experienced that flight or fight. Because I\u2019m quite stubborn, I fought.\u201d <\/p>\n At the press conference, every member of the QNMU Council raised a hand when asked if they had experienced violence at work.<\/p>\n Union secretary Sarah Beaman said Kat\u2019s experience was a good example of nurses and midwives putting others first.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cNo nurse or midwife should ever be put in a position that they are punched in the jaw or feel a sense of obligation to come back and continue to provide care,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s incredible that we have nurses and midwives and carers that do this. But the focus for governments should not be on having amazingly resilient nurses and midwives; it should be on ensuring there are programs in place to prevent this from ever occurring.\u201d <\/p>\n On Monday, Health Minister Tim Nicholls released figures showing 10,000 new health workers had been hired since the LNP was elected<\/a>, including 7200 frontline doctors, nurses and allied health workers.<\/p>\n But Beaman said that while frontline numbers were increasing, staff were burning out.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cWe are holding the government to account on their commitment to 18,700 more nurses and midwives by 2032, [but] we have to retain every nurse, midwife and carer we have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The QNMU urged the state government to put extra funding into the \u201chighly successful\u201d ambassador model, which uses specially trained, non-traditional security and support staff to de-escalate aggressive behaviour.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the budget before last, it was expanded in number by about 10 by the LNP government,\u201d Beaman said.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, this year there has been no additional funding and no further rollout, and the budget itself has very limited additional funding in relation to occupational violence prevention, which is deeply concerning.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is some money there for security, but it\u2019s a bit like the workforce recruitment plans, and the retention plans \u2013 there are words on paper, but there are no specifics to match this policy.\u201d<\/p>\n In the video showing the 2024 attack on nurse Daniel Nelson at the Royal Brisbane and Women\u2019s Hospital, which was only recently shared on Facebook, it took almost a full minute for help to arrive.<\/p>\n Beaman commended security guards at Queensland hospitals, but said there were not enough of them.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time a security guard is called to a particular area of concern, it means they\u2019re taken away from another area,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is why we need better intervention in that space, and we need more staff, not just formal security but other models \u2026 like the ambassador model.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Secretary](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/b89ea0b5ef732ebdf6dbf89dc3bcc7230b1ae457d46527eff0556953b8c216ad.jpeg\")
Secretary of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives\u2019 Union Sarah Beaman (centre) with members of its council.Dominique Tassell<\/p>\n![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786015584_406_6ece69a32088bfe7da15e170ab8bfa710b54b9c42210d0ae1b36de8dd632ba26.jpeg\")
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<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6ece69a32088bfe7da15e170ab8bfa710b54b9c42210d0ae1b36de8dd632ba26.jpeg\")
Daniel Nelson was working in the RBWH Emergency Department in October 2024 when the incident occurred at 2am.Facebook<\/p>\n