After three female nurses were assaulted at the Joan Ridley Unit in the Cowdy Ward at Royal Darwin Hospital, is it time to employ male nurses only there ? It is not clear if there was a male staff member in the unit at the time in an area which is predominantly occupied by males. The person who attacked the nurses had been sniffing petrol. The protection of all nursing staff should be paramount but it seems the attack on the nurses was not reported to WorkSafe , as is required under the NT Workplace Health and Safety Act. Unfortunately ambulance officers, police and firemen have to cope with abusive and aggressive people. A taxi driver recently explained on TV the injuries he has received from Darwin passengers.
