The President of the BC Nurses Union is speaking up about the violent situations workers find themselves in.
Gail Duteil says nurses are being hurt by dementia patients, by patients suffering from mental health issues in emergency rooms and by patients’ family members. “Community nurses are walking into people’s homes…we’ve had horrific incidents of nurses being held in closets…they walk in and they find weapons in the home…”, she says.
Duteil says the Union would like to see assaulting a nurse become a felony, which involves Federal legislative changes.
She notes that nurses would also like to see more safety officers on sites and get a clearer understanding of the threats they may face during residential visits.
