Assault on nurse at Hillside Centre renews calls for action on safety, meeting with Lake

NEWS/ HEALTHCARE — Another nurse was assaulted by a patient at Hillside Centre on Wednesday night, prompting a meeting at the facility Friday between Health Minister Terry Lake, health officials and B.C. Nurses Association president Gayle Duteil.

The nurse was treated for injuries suffered in the assault and is recovering at home. Lake said the nurse responded in self-defence while other staff members initiated a code white response and intervened.

Code white is a trained team response to a behavioural emergency in a health care facility. Hillside Centre is a 44-bed psychiatric unit behind Royal Inland Hospital.

Duteil said today it was the second serious assault at the centre in four months.

“The fact that another nurse has been hurt while trying to provide safe patient care underscores the urgent need to make worksites safer,” she said.

“The parties responsible for delivering patient care need to focus on the safety and security of nurses and other health care providers.”

In December, another nurse was attacked at Hillside, prompting the BCNU to ask the ministry to improve safety for nurses, patients and all health care workers.

The ministry has recently committed to reviewing four of 12 sites BCNU has identified as needing urgent attention, including Hillside.

Lake asked that a team of representatives from the ministry, Interior Health and BCNU immediately investigate what happened and make recommendations on improving safety.

Duteil said the Hillside Centre has received numerous WorkSafeBC orders and warnings related to violence prevention “yet the problems persist and nurses remain at risk.”

Lake said violence in health facilities is “unacceptable” and added, “We have made a commitment to the BCNU to work together with unions and health authorities to improve the safety and security of our health-care workers and our patients.”