Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

Severe Beating Of A Nurse By A Patient At A Toronto Hospital Raises Safety Concerns

The Canadian Press, 03 Jan, 2015 04:49 PM
    TORONTO - The severe beating of a nurse by a patient at a Toronto hospital this week is just one of a growing number of violent incidents against nurses at mental-health facilities across Ontario, their union said.
     
    The assault at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which left the nurse with a serious head injury, came just days after the provincial Labour Ministry charged the hospital in relation to a similar beating that occurred early last year.
     
    The situation, the union said, can largely be blamed on a provincial funding freeze that has resulted in cuts to nursing and security staff.
     
    "There's an escalation of the numbers of significant violent situations taking place in mental-health facilities across Ontario," Linda Haslam-Stroud, president of the Ontario Nurses Association, said in an interview.
     
    "It's not just about staffing — but staffing is one of the issues that is starting to rear its head."
     
    Given the ongoing investigation, CAMH said Friday it would be inappropriate to discuss the Dec. 29 incident, when it was reported to authorities, or why ministry investigators only showed up two days later.
     
    "We hope to have more to share once the investigation is complete," hospital spokeswoman Kate Richards said in an email.
     
    In August 2009, CAMH was fined $70,000 after pleading guilty to charges under the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Act in relation to two assaults on nursing staff in 2007 and 2008.
     
    Just before Christmas, the facility was hit with new charges under the act in relation to last January's beating of two nurses.
     
    In response to those charges, the hospital said it was "disappointed" and planned to defend against them in court.
     
    Figures show CAMH staff reported 118 incidents in the past fiscal year that resulted in some form of harm. Four of the incidents were classified as severe and prompted the Labour Ministry to investigate.
     
    Rani Srivastava, chief of nursing, said in a recent blog post that the facility is seeing more acutely ill patients at a time when staff are being urged to report all threats or similar issues. As a result, she said, the number of reported incidents has risen — not the number of violent assaults.
     
    Haslam-Stroud was not impressed.
     
    "CAMH will give any excuse in the world (but) that is unheard of in a health-care facility to have that many incidents," Haslam-Stroud said.
     
    Other facilities in the province have also seen violent incidents in recent years.
     
    For example, the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group has been fighting charges related to a 2012 case in which a patient allegedly choked and assaulted two nurses and a support worker.
     
    In November, the Ontario Labour Relations Board ordered the health group to ensure round-the-clock security staffing at its facility in Brockville so nurses would have adequate protection when caring for or escorting violent patients.
     
    Last month, an emergency room patient at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont., assaulted a nurse — the second such assault at the facility in two years.
     
    "Why are we all of a sudden having all these additional increases in violent situations where nurses are being pummelled?" Haslam-Stroud said.
     
    "When you talk about increased staff, it's not just nursing. It can be the whole mental-health team."
     
    In a statement, Health Minister Eric Hoskins said the government would be reviewing the latest incident. He offered no further commitments.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    No bail hearing for Winnipeg woman accused of hiding dead babies in storage unit

    No bail hearing for Winnipeg woman accused of hiding dead babies in storage unit
    WINNIPEG — A woman accused of hiding the remains of six infants in a Winnipeg storage locker could spend the holidays behind bars after her bail hearing was delayed yet again.

    No bail hearing for Winnipeg woman accused of hiding dead babies in storage unit

    Lower gas prices help slow inflation rate to 2.0 per cent: Statistics Canada

    Lower gas prices help slow inflation rate to 2.0 per cent: Statistics Canada
    OTTAWA — A big drop in pump prices helped slow Canada's annual inflation rate last month to 2.0 per cent as it offset rising costs of other goods, says Statistics Canada.

    Lower gas prices help slow inflation rate to 2.0 per cent: Statistics Canada

    In Cuba, prisoner swap overshadows historic restoration of relations with U.S.

    In Cuba, prisoner swap overshadows historic restoration of relations with U.S.
    Amazingly, the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States and the sea of potential consequences that opens up appeared not to be the biggest news story in Cuba.

    In Cuba, prisoner swap overshadows historic restoration of relations with U.S.

    Alberta's political earthquake has Tories, NDP considering federal fallout

    Alberta's political earthquake has Tories, NDP considering federal fallout
    OTTAWA — Federal Conservatives say they're gobsmacked over the political tectonic shifts in Alberta this week, but they don't have to reach too far into their own history to see parallels with the political pragmatism that's at play.

    Alberta's political earthquake has Tories, NDP considering federal fallout

    Computer Virus Infects B.C. Government Email Servers

    Computer Virus Infects B.C. Government Email Servers
    VICTORIA — A computer virus has forced the British Columbia government to shut down its email system, cutting off the information flow for much of the day.

    Computer Virus Infects B.C. Government Email Servers

    Kenneth Knutson Accused Of Shooting Mountie In Kamloops Now Faces Six Charges

    Kenneth Knutson Accused Of Shooting Mountie In Kamloops Now Faces Six Charges
    KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Two new charges have been laid against a man accused of shooting a Mountie in Kamloops, B.C., during a traffic stop.

    Kenneth Knutson Accused Of Shooting Mountie In Kamloops Now Faces Six Charges