Towards a Safer Culture
This page contains information on the Towards a Safer Culture Strategy and its role in reducing occupational violence towards nurses and midwives.
We define occupational violence as any action, incident or behaviour that departs from reasonable conduct which causes a person to be assaulted, threatened, harmed, or injured during, or as a direct result of their work where the workplace also includes remote, community or home-based sites, and also includes abuse through technology (text, emails, and phone calls).
To prevent occupational violence and improve workplace safety safety across the nursing and midwifery professions, the ACT Government launched the Nurses and Midwives: Towards a Safer Culture (TASC) Strategy in December 2018.
This strategy is led by ACT Health Directorate and encompasses Canberra Health Services.
Key stakeholder engagement from organisations such as the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has successfully progressed development of the strategy.
Vision and goals for the strategy
The strategy outlines a vision for a public health care system where staff, patients and visitors are protected from harm and feel safe at all times.
The strategy seeks to create a safer and healthier environment by using 22 priority actions that would cumulatively work towards the desired impact of reducing incidents of occupational violence, bullying and harassment experienced by nurses and midwives in ACT public health workplaces.
The strategy has made an important contribution to increasing peoples understanding of occupational violence and maintaining focus of its impact on nurses and midwives.
In particular, the deliverables from multiple priority actions have resulted in the implementation of the Safewards trial in the ACT. More information on the trial can be found on Safewards.
Interdependent projects
The following projects were linked to the strategy:
- Addressing Occupational Violence Strategy 2019-2022, ACT Government
- Nurse/Midwife Ratios Framework, ACT Health
- Independent Review into Workplace Culture, ACT Health
- Occupational Violence Strategy Working Group, Canberra Health Services
Project activity
In the provision of public healthcare in the ACT, ACT Health Directorate, Canberra Health Services (including the University of Canberra Hospital) are all committed to improving workplace safety.
Together we are implementing various initiatives and strategies and addressing continued compliance with our legislated responsibility to protect workers and others from harm.
Informed by the work of the NM TASC Steering Committee and Advisory Group, the strategy provides a foundation for positive cultural change within ACT health care settings to reduce harm to staff, patients and visitors.
The four pillars
The four pillars for the strategy were based on broad areas for action and implementation. Current and completed work under the strategy’s four pillars includes:
- Organisational wide actions
- Occupational violence
- Challenging occupational behaviours
- Safe work practices
Evaluation
Download the Nurses and Midwives Towards a Safer Culture Strategy Evaluation Report.
Contact
If you have any questions about the Towards a Safer Culture Strategy or the implementation process, email NM.SaferCulture@act.gov.au.