Paula Doucet is the president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union. (Photo: Acadia Broadcasting)
The New Brunswick Nurses Union is calling on the provincial government to address what they say is a security crisis in hospitals.
The union recently obtained right-to-information documents from health authorities.
President Paula Doucet says it clearly showed the insufficient number of properly trained and educated security personnel in health facilities.
“The government is paying a large sum of money to protect those who work in the health care facilities, and they are not meeting their obligations. This just goes to the point of the incidents of violence that have been on the increase across our province,” Doucet said.
Doucet says they found 48 security guard positions at New Brunswick hospitals were unfilled as of May this year.
She says they also found two-thirds of the personnel don’t have the resources they need to succeed in their jobs.
NBNU has made repeated attempts to meet with @BlaineHiggs to discuss the issue of violence in hospitals and work toward solutions, however requests have gone unanswered to date. #SafetyNow
— N.B. Nurses Union (@NBNU_SIINB) September 10, 2019
“When we look at the numbers and the trends, the number of violent incidents are on the rise. We are trying to mitigate this and put a stop to it,” Doucet said.
Provincial legislation that was enacted on April 1, 2019, added new regulations specific to workplace violence and harassment under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This holds employers accountable as it relates to reporting these issues.
“The information we received described a dangerous and unacceptable state-of-affairs regarding security measures in our hospitals. This information that was uncovered fundamentally puts our members at risk and NBNU views this matter as a clear violation of our Collective Agreements, a crisis in workplace health and safety at New Brunswick hospitals and a determinant to patient safety,” said Doucet.
“The information we received described a dangerous and unacceptable state-of-affairs regarding security measures in our hospitals,” @PaulaNBNU. (President, NBNU)
— N.B. Nurses Union (@NBNU_SIINB) September 10, 2019
