For one registered nurse working in community care, a routine visit to a patient in respite care transformed into a fight for survival. The nurse was attacked, stabbed, and held captive for 30 minutes, escaping only through a combination of physical fitness and the restraint training they had received during their professional certification. The physical aftermath was severe: facial fractures, stab wounds to the neck and back, and burns covering 30 percent of their body.
But as the physical wounds healed, a second, more insidious trauma began. The nurse describes the subsequent years as “catastrophic,” citing a breakdown of their 25-year marriage, the loss of their home, and a professional identity shattered by a system that seemed more interested in administrative efficiency than clinician recovery. “I went from being a respected colleague and clinician to being defined as a victim,” they recounted.
This harrowing experience is one of two detailed case studies in a new report published in the NZ Medical Journal titled “Reluctant victims: healthcare workers and workplace violence.” Authored by registered nurse Wendy Strawbridge, victims advocate Ruth Money, and psychiatrist Lillian Ng, the report warns that while non-physical aggression is more frequent, physical violence against healthcare workers has risen significantly over the last three decades.
As a physician, I have seen how the “hero” narrative often pushed upon healthcare workers can inadvertently silence them. When violence is framed as “part of the job,” the psychological toll—ranging from burnout to complex PTSD—is frequently ignored until it reaches a breaking point. This report suggests that for many New Zealand clinicians, that breaking point has already arrived.
The Rising Tide of Workplace Violence
The data provided by Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) indicates a sharp increase in assaults on public sector staff across various regions. While these figures encompass all health staff and not exclusively hospital-based clinicians, the trend is stark. In some regions, the number of reported assaults has more than doubled between 2022 and 2025.
The report identifies specific high-risk environments where violence is most prevalent, including emergency departments, mental health units, drug and alcohol clinics, ambulances, and services operating in remote locations. These hotspots are often where the intersection of patient distress and systemic failure is most acute.
| Region | Total Assaults (2022) | Total Assaults (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Central | 342 | 925 |
| Northern* | 668 | 2,928 |
| Midland | 335 | 1,019 |
| South Island | 1,483 | 2,712 |
*Note: The Northern region’s increase may be partially attributed to a reporting change in emergency departments allowing multiple staff to log a single incident.
The authors point to several systemic drivers behind this escalation. Long wait times and delays in care often lead to emotional escalation among patients and visitors. When combined with chronic understaffing and insufficient security measures, the environment becomes a powder keg where the staff are the most immediate targets of frustration.
The ‘Reluctant Victim’ and the Cost of Silence
The report highlights a troubling cultural phenomenon: the reluctance of healthcare workers to identify as victims. This is illustrated through the experience of a psychiatrist who was attacked by a patient in a women’s prison intensive care unit. Despite being struck in the head in front of witnesses, the psychiatrist initially minimized the event.
“In retrospect, my initial reluctance to take action was to minimise the incident,” the psychiatrist noted, explaining that they did not want to “waste” time or energy since the injury was not severe. This mindset—the belief that some level of violence is an acceptable occupational hazard—creates a dangerous data gap. Ruth Money, the government’s chief victims adviser and co-author of the paper, suggests that violence is likely significantly under-reported across the entire health system.
For those who do report, the path to recovery is often obstructed by the extremely systems meant to support them. The nurse mentioned earlier found that accepting a PTSD diagnosis to access psychological support created new hurdles, limiting their income protection and travel insurance options. They reported a lack of empathy from rehabilitation managers who cited their own workload pressures as a reason for not reviewing the nurse’s clinical notes.
A Blueprint for Systemic Protection
The report concludes that the current burden of recovery rests almost entirely on the individual healthcare worker, who must be proactive in seeking follow-up care and reporting. To shift this burden from the individual to the organization, the authors propose three primary recommendations:
- Unified Data Collection: Establishing a nationwide approach to collecting and analyzing workplace violence data to share findings and identify trends across the sector.
- Psychosocial Research: Commissioning dedicated research into the long-term consequences of violence, specifically how it impacts staff retention, burnout, and overall workplace culture.
- Legislative Reform: Strengthening health and safety laws to clarify the legal responsibilities of organizations in managing risks and monitoring violence.
By treating workplace violence as a systemic failure rather than an individual misfortune, the authors argue that the health system can begin to protect those who spend their careers protecting others.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.
Support Resources: Healthcare workers experiencing trauma or distress can contact their local Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) or reach out to national mental health crisis lines for immediate support.
The next phase of this effort involves the integration of these recommendations into Health New Zealand’s operational policies, with advocates calling for a formal response to the NZ Medical Journal findings to ensure legislative changes are prioritized in the coming budget cycles.
Do you believe healthcare workplace violence is sufficiently addressed in your region? Share your thoughts in the comments below or share this article to join the conversation.
