The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has warned that many of its members are experiencing exhaustion, burnout and stress, alongside compromised patient care, due to staff shortages.
Delegates at the INMO annual conference, which opened in Co Wexford, are debating a range of motions on issues such as staffing, safety and assaults on nurses.
A survey of more than 2,300 INMO members showed 72% of respondents feel their current staffing levels and skill mix do not meet the required clinical and patient demands in their work area, and almost 40% reported that their work negatively impacted their psychological wellbeing "a great deal" or "a lot".
"Our members have been very clear in this survey that staffing levels are having a detrimental effect on patient care and a severe impact on nurses' and midwives' ability to protect their own health and safety," said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha.
"It is absolutely critical that improvements come into effect in the coming months regarding both staffing and workforce planning, and this needs to include legislation that underpins clinically safe staffing levels," she added.
The theme of this year's INMO conference is "Inclusion Healthcare Starts With Us" and over 350 delegates are expected to attend the three-day meeting.
The event will be addressed by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill tomorrow.
Assaults on nurses
When it comes to safety at work, one resolution calls on the INMO to engage in negotiations for the implementation of the compensatory payment of an allowance for nurses and midwives required to work in unsafe staffing conditions.
Another motion calls on the HSE to "introduce appropriate security measures, including an increased security presence along with the establishment of a clear and supportive reporting system that will encourage nurses/midwives to report all forms of abuse in the workplace".
New figures obtained by the INMO through Freedom of Information request show that 3,757 nurses and midwives were assaulted in HSE hospitals and workplaces between February 2024 and February 2025.
It works out at over 11 people a day who have been verbally, physically or sexually assaulted in work, according to the union.
Clinical nurse manager Ester Fitzgerald was subjected to a serious assault while at work.
"I required multiple surgeries, a long rehabilitation, a lot of time off work and I'm not unique in that," Ms Fitzgerald said.
"This is something we deal with on a day-to-day basis," she said, adding "we go to work, we get shouted out, we get pinched, we get shoved, we get pushed".
"On a daily basis, we are not allowed to do our job to the best of our ability through violence, aggression and harassment in the workplace," she added.
Housing
In another motion, the INMO Eastern Youth Forum urged the HSE, the Department of Health and the Department of Housing to introduce a modified housing assistance payment specifically for newly qualified and early career nurses and midwives.
The motion was proposed by student nurse Christopher Hughes.
"There are so many hospitals in Dublin, and it's really unfair to expect nurses to be commuting from ages away to come all the way into Dublin, or else it means paying extortionate rents or having to share their house with loads of people," Mr Hughes said.
"I want to be a paediatric nurse in the new children's hospital and so to try and afford buying or renting in Dublin would just be extortionate, considering the rate of pay," he added.
Extreme weather
One of the motions to be debated at the conference will call on the INMO to engage with the HSE to urgently evaluate and strengthen the key provisions in place for nurses and midwives during extreme weather warnings.
"Specifically, a review of the Red Weather Event Policy should be conducted to ensure its application is fair, practical and consistently implemented," the motion says.
It added: "The employer's approach must be reasonable and supportive, prioritising the safety and well-being of staff.
"Furthermore, nurse/midwives who attend work during extreme weather conditions must receive timely and adequate compensation, with no undue delays or obstacles in accessing their entitlements."
Several motions will be debated relating to staff shortages.
Last week, members of the INMO voted to accept proposals aimed at resolving a dispute over staffing numbers.
In March, healthcare unions called off planned industrial action after agreement was reached with HSE management at the Workplace Relations Commission.
