A nurse’s union in Canada is refusing to sign a new labor contract with its province until hospital safety is improved following an attack on a nurse earlier this month.
The British Columbia Nurse’s Union, or BCNU, is discussing violence in the workplace with the Ministry of Health and vowing to make that a sticking point in labor negotiations. The union has been calling for new safety measures in hospitals since an assault on a nurse in an emergency room on March 1, as Campus Safety Magazine had previously reported.
Now the union’s nurses are demanding access to personal protective technology, like a wearable button to call for help, training for emergencies related to patient behavior and better staffing to avoid patient frustration, according to bc.ctvnews.ca.
Nurses acknowledged additional safety measures were brought in at the Abbotsford hospital where the assault took place but argued the rest of the province’s hospitals should follow suit.
The Fraser Health Authority, one of Canada’s largest health care service providers, said in addition to assigning a safety officer to the Abbotsford hospital’s ER, it has also added a secure glass door to separate the triage and waiting areas.
Photo: nursinglink.monster.com
