Nursing Life
Nurses: You Deserve To Be Safe At Work.
Nurses should not face violence at work. Unfortunately, CBC reports that violence against healthcare workers is a widespread and persistent issue in settings like hospitals and nursing homes.
May 25, 2018
Violence should not be a part of a nurse’s job. When a nurse goes to work, they should not expect to be assaulted during their shift.
However, according to CBC, “Violence against workers in health-care settings like hospitals, nursing homes and psychiatric environments is an under-reported, ubiquitous and persistent problem.”
What’s even more disturbing is that “According to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, there were more than 4,000 reported incidents of workplace violence against Canadian nurses between 2008 and 2013” (CBC). This figure is completely unacceptable, and many provinces have begun developing plans of action to counter workplace assaults within the healthcare field.
What can you do to protect yourself? Take action. Safety is everyone’s responsibility – including yours.
Select Medical Connections has joined the province-wide British Columbia initiative to make Healthcare workplaces safe for all nurses, and the resources that have been developed are available to all nurses nation-wide. By educating yourself on how to effectively de-escalate violence and aggression, you can be more prepared to deal with any incident that you are faced with.
For all nurses working within BC: The course is currently available & is expected to become mandatory for all nurses working in BC by June 30th. Complete the modules now before it’s crunch time.
Lessons include:
Workplace violence is an issue that will affect every nurse at one point or another. Take the time to complete 8 modules, available here, to learn how to protect yourself.
