The survey closes this Sunday at midnight, takes about five minutes and has been emailed to all ED nurses who are NZNO members.
“I’ve been threatened and abused many times including by a gang member who said he would take out a contract on me,” NZNO president Anne Daniels, who is an ED nurse, said.
“I know we should have a zero tolerance on violence and abuse, but I never take it personally because most patients have had it by the time they get to ED. They shouldn’t have to tolerate this broken health system either.”
‘Sadly, a lot of ED nurses are too run off their feet to report incidents but I urge them to please take the time to do this survey.’
Many nurses never reported incidents which meant Te Whatu Ora – Health NZ did not believe violence in the workplace was a big issue, she said.
“Sadly, a lot of ED nurses are too run off their feet to report incidents but I urge them to please take the time to do this survey, so our union can advocate for system changes – safer staffing and solutions to address the crisis we’re seeing in the health system.”
Call for 24/7 security
NZNO’s college of emergency nurses (CENNZ) has been advocating for 24/7 security for all EDs around the country to combat rising violence and aggression
CENNZ chair Lauren Miller told Kaitiaki in January last year that social and economic pressures had seen a rise in violence and aggression to “unacceptable levels”.
While Miller was aware of Government efforts to improve security, inconsistencies between EDs were “vast” and there had been no commitment to round-the-clock security.
Some incidents reported by the media in 2025
- January: An ED nurse at Middle Hospital was hospitalised after being allegedly punched and choked to unconsciousness by a patient. It took five staff to pull the man off as security guards were not present at the time.
- March: Release of a report about four ED nurses at Hutt Valley Hospital who were assaulted on Boxing Day. One nurse had a table hurled at her, striking her in the back and the other three nurses were punched by the same patient.
- May: An ED nurse at Christchurch was attacked in close proximity to her workplace while walking to work, only to end up in ED herself.
- April: A Palmerston North Hospital ED nurse was held up at gunpoint when she left work.
- December 2024: A Rotorua Hospital nurse was hospitalised after being stabbed by a patient.
Not just an issue in ED
NZNO is planning another similar survey for all nurses, including, mental health nurses. A 2023 NZNO survey of mental health nurses found that violence and aggression was a major concern for them while on duty.
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