Canberra Hospital staff stressed out

The mental stress incidents for mental health staff - whose workplaces include the adult mental health unit - mostly related to exposure to workplace violence.

The division recorded 142 mental stress incidents in 2018, but Canberra Health Services says current figures suggest numbers are slightly up this year.

According to the figures, released in answers to questions taken on notice in the Legislative Assembly, there were 469 incidents of mental stress recorded at Canberra Hospital in 2018 across 21 divisions.

The mental health division had 142 incidents, women and children 57, medicine 55, surgery and oral health 52 and cancer and ambulatory support 31. Exposure to workplace violence was the leading cause of mental stress for metal health division staff (85 incidents) and medicine (27).

At the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children - located on the Canberra Hospital campus - work pressure was the leading cause of its mental stress incidents (23).

Staff there were the most likely to have suffered a mental stress incident due to work pressure.

The figures said there were just nine mental stress incidents recorded at Calvary Public Hospital in 2018.

Canberra Health Services CEO Bernadette McDonald said improving workplace culture and addressing the issue of occupational violence were among her highest priorities.

"I was pleased this week to welcome our new employee advocate to Canberra Health Services. This new position is providing staff with another avenue through which their workplace issues or concerns can be addressed and resolved," she said.

A Canberra Health Services spokeswoman said the women and children's division had many strategies in place to address increasing demand and to reduce work pressure on staff. Strategies included rostering on more midwives and doctors, and hiring a consultant to create better workplace relationships.

The spokeswoman said there had been a small increase this year in the number of reported incidents among mental health staff. "The importance of reporting occupational violence continues to be emphasised to staff and the increase may reflect a healthier incident reporting culture and not necessarily increasing exposure," she said.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation ACT secretary Matthew Daniel said some staff on the ground were cautiously optimistic workplace violence and culture would improve, based on better relationships with managers.

Mr Daniel previously criticised executive staff for being paternalistic in their dealings with nurses concerned about workplace violence, but believed there had been a very recent change.

"We would really be looking for a turnaround in those figures in the next six to 12 months," he said.

Mr Daniel said the stress placed on nurses in recent years had caused some to walk away from the job.