The Health Service Executive has condemned the action of some staff at the acute psychiatric unit in Galway University Hospital who refused to turn up for work today amid concerns over staff safety.
Ten nurses, who are members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, said there have been 36 assaults on staff at the unit since January.
The association said staff working the night shift stayed on this morning to provide cover for patients.
In a statement, the HSE said that following urgent talks with the association, the nurses involved in the action went back on duty at the unit.
The executive said it has arranged for the issue to be brought to the Labour Relations Commission and a meeting is scheduled for next week.
It said this morning's unannounced and unofficial action had the potential to affect patient safety.
It added: "The refusal to work was outside the normal industrial relations process and placed severe pressure on night staff who remained on duty to provide care to their patients in the absence of their colleagues."
The PNA said staff have raised the issue of staff shortage repeatedly and in recent days patient care has been compromised because of an increase in patients requiring special one-to-one care.
This has resulted in there not being enough staff to care for the rest of patients at the unit.
The association claims that in some cases HSE guidelines have been breached because healthcare assistants have been allowed to work with these patients.
In total there are 15 psychiatric nurses at the acute unit in Galway.
PNA National Secretary Noel Giblin said staff had agreed to return to duty after HSE management agreed that extra staff would be brought in from other areas.
He said: "PNA welcomes the intervention of the LRC and we hope that the unit can remain safe and that staff will not be forced to take further action before the LRC meeting next week where we will be seeking sustainable and long term solutions to the issues at the UCHG Unit.
"Nothing less will be acceptable to make this unit safe for staff and patients."
