‘Enough is enough’ — nurses and health authority combat hospital violence

Nurses at small rural hospitals like Tatamagouche can expect safer working conditions as nurses and the Nova Scotia Health Authority team up to combat violence.

And Janet Hazelton, president of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union, had a simple message for violent patients and other visitors: “enough is enough.”

“I don’t think there is a facility in our province that has not experienced violence,” said Hazelton in Halifax Thursday.

Bigger centres like New Glasgow’s Aberdeen Regional Hospital have the staff on hand to deal with such incidents.

However staff at smaller facilities like Tatamagouche, which serves the far west of Pictou County, need more support in place to handle violent and disruptive behaviour.

Under the new plan developed by the NSNU and NSHA, at least two nurses will assist patients and if anyone becomes abusive or violently lashes out, more staff will be on hand to de-escalate a situation.

Staff will call a ‘code white’ response if faced by violent or disruptive behaviour that can call in support. Code white itself has been used for about 25 years to counter violence but more staff will now undergo training on this protocol.

Any nurse who is verbally abused, shoved, hit, struck with a weapon, or otherwise attacked should report the incident to their employer and their union will also be informed. Employers will also check up on any nurses sent home as a result of workplace violence, helping to build a supportive work environment.

Hospital staff will also undergo education on workplace violence, including non-violent crisis intervention training, for personnel like nurses at higher risk of such behaviour.

Nurses will have mobile personal alarms when they are alone with patients, family and other visitors.

Hazelton said such safeguards are vital as nurses are more likely to suffer from violent attacks than police officers.

“We have to do something about this,” said Hazelton.

Crucially, the new plan calls for employers and unions to form a joint occupational health and safety committee including representatives from the NSHA, CUPE, NSGEU and Unifor. This group will meet at least once every three months to discuss trends using leading and lagging indicators and to look at issues affecting workplace safety in the province.

“We are very pleased with how the NSHA handles violent incidents,” said Hazelton.

The new approach to violence is outlined in a NSHA progress report highlighting safety improvements for Nova Scotian hospital emergency departments.

Of its 12 recommendations, 11 have been met or are being implemented. Planning is underway for the final recommendation related to establishing a provincial business solution for reporting and tracking violent incidents.

The progress report, to be released annually, provides an overview of numerous safety policies and practices introduced last year as well as planning that is still underway.

The report forms the NSHA response to the government’s Improving Workplace Safety in Nova Scotia’s ‘Community Emergency Departments’ document. This was tabled last January.