The current struggles facing our NHS are immediately on show for anyone visiting or working in a hospital. Extreme understaffing has led to some night shift nurses having to manage entire wards on their own, which can cause a multitude of issues in times of emergency.

Night shift nurses are exposed to a higher risk of violence, especially if they are operating alone. Patients aren’t the only perpetrators, with their families also contributing to the threat.

In times of crisis, both employers and nurses need to know how to deescalate and prevent situations from arising to stay safe during stressful night shifts. In this article, we’ll highlight some of the threats faced by night shift nurses as well as ways to tackle stress-induced problems.

Issues faced by lone night shift nurses

Dealing with high-pressure emergencies and the heightened emotions of those involved can take a physical and emotional toll on lone night shift nurses. Below are the most frequent problems they face in the moment and in the aftermath.

Physical and verbal abuse

A 2025 survey by UNISON found that nine in 10 nurses and midwives have experienced some form of physical violence during their career. This problem is exacerbated by night and when a hospital worker is alone. Physical violence can include punching, biting and spitting, as well as being grabbed or pushed. The abuse isn’t always physical, with many nurses also subject to verbal torrents from those they are serving.

The patient’s condition can hugely affect the levels of abuse that nurses face, especially if they are being admitted to hospital for drink or drug-related issues. It’s not always the patients dealing the blows either, with accompanying family or friends often providing the threat. While there is no excuse for physical and verbal threats, moments of stress and tension can produce erratic behaviour in people.

Mental and physical fatigue

Staffing in NHS hospitals is often strained at best, leading to some nurses working shifts of 12 hours or more. Couple this with trying to deal with multiple cases at once, with some being critical, and the mental and physical consequences can be dire.

Exhaustion and burnout affects concentration levels and the nurse’s capacity to do their job to the best of their ability. This leaves both the nurse and the patients at greater risk of harm.

Threats in hospital car parks and during commutes

The threat for lone night shift nurses isn’t always limited to the hospital floor. In many cases, it can spill over to outside areas such as the hospital car park or surrounding public transport stations. These areas are often lowly-lit and out of view of witnesses, especially in the early hours of the morning. This can leave nurses vulnerable to attacks with no witnesses for accountability.

Driving home after a long shift presents its own dangers. Driver fatigue is a major cause of accidents with reaction times slowed and judgement impaired. As previously mentioned, 12+ hour shifts are incredibly fatigue-inducing, putting night shift nurses at risk while on the roads.

How to combat threats against lone night shift nurses

The threats against lone night shift nurses may seem worryingly plentiful, but they can be reduced/prevented by taking various safety measures. These include the hospital-wide rollout of safety devices, from personal alarms to location tracking. These will offer nurses a safety net if they feel threatened in any way.

Vertical location tracking in multi-story facilities

The larger a facility, the more difficult it is to locate a nurse if they’ve put out a call for help. This issue is even more pertinent when the hospital or its car park is multi-story, as tracking the nurse’s direction of movement simply won’t be enough. With vertical location tracking, the response team will be able to detect which floor of the building they are on, as well as their precise location on the particular floor.

Hospital-wide safety device integration

Integrating safety devices across an entire hospital involves connecting everything to a central system. As well as being able to track patients’ movements and falls, the safety devices worn by staff, such as panic buttons and fall alarms will also be monitored. These will be combined with GPS tracking, allowing the monitoring team to react quickly and provide support to the nurse.

Safety device integration can also include security technology, like CCTV and alarms. If a certain area of the hospital has been compromised, the security team will receive instant visual verification of the incident. Hospitals can also implement biometric access control, which will only allow access to certain areas of the building through fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, or by keycard.

By integrating the hospital’s safety devices into one centralised system, the entire facility’s security operation will be streamlined.

Workplace violence prevention technology

A lot of violence within the workplace can be prevented with visible deterrents. These include CCTV cameras and body cameras worn by nurses. Potential aggressors are less likely to commit acts of violence if they are aware that they are being watched.

Wearable alarms are another extremely efficient way of preventing a threatening situation from boiling over. If a nurse believes that they are about to be physically abused, they can press the panic button and receive help within no time.

How lone worker monitoring can revolutionise hospital night shifts

A distracted nurse is unlikely to perform at their best, which is why they need to be going into every shift feeling safe. Lone monitoring provides them with the assurance that there is someone to call when an emergency happens, even if they’re not even on the same floor.

By supplying nurses with a device that includes a panic button and GPS tracking, they’ll know that help is just a call away. Some devices, including the ones sold by SureSafe, include a communication mechanism that allows nurses to talk to those monitoring them, so they can share insightful details about a situation.

If the nurse experiences a fall, or is pushed over, the fall detection system on the device will immediately alert security. This will ensure a rapid response, minimising the chances of major harm being caused.

A lone monitoring device will also be of benefit to employers, as they’ll be more confident that the staff they are responsible for are staying safe.

Be safe whilst working alone with SureSafe

Being in charge of a hospital floor on your own at night can be a daunting experience. However, with SureSafe lone monitoring devices, it doesn’t have to be. Our safety alarms will give you peace of mind on the job, allowing you to provide the best care for your patients.

Our products aren’t restricted to hospital staff either, as we also provide solutions for elderly people, people who have seizures, and other lone workers. Be sure to get in touch with us to find out more about our range.

You can contact us at 0808 189 1760, or through our live chat. You can also request us to call you back. Our team is ready to help.