Chronic understaffing, complex patients exacerbate issue
Following the latest in a string of violent workplace attacks against Ontario nurses, the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (RPNAO) is calling on the government and employers in the health-care sector to better protect nurses while they're caring for patients.
While few details about the Sept. 10 attack on a registered practical nurse (RPN) by a patient at the Royal Mental Health Care Group have been made public due to privacy concerns, the circumstances of the attack make it clear nurses need more protection and support in dealing with patients with aggressive tendencies, said the union.
"Chronic understaffing and higher numbers of complex patients living with addictions and mental health conditions can combine to create volatile environments for both nurses and patients," said Dianne Martin, executive director of RPNAO. "If nurses don't have the resources and support they need to provide timely and appropriate patient care, complex patients with mental health or addictions issues are more likely to become agitated and violent and nurses are more vulnerable to attack."
"We must protect our nurses while always upholding the dignity and value of our patients," said Martin. "Managing complex illnesses can be very difficult. Although we can't always prevent patients from being violent — violence sometimes results from these conditions — we can certainly do more to provide our nurses with the support and resources they need to manage and de-escalate aggressive behaviour and reduce their vulnerability to attack."
