The BC Nurses’ Union is calling on government and health authorities to commit to implementing meaningful violence-prevention measures following an incident on Oct. 25 at Cowichan District Hospital.
A vehicle crashed through the front doors of the emergency department, seriously endangering staff and patients.
BCNU President Adriane Gear said the incident highlights deeper safety concerns that go beyond the physical damage.
“What happened at CDH is shocking, but it is not an isolated incident,” said Gear.
“The reality is that violence, threats, and unsafe working conditions have become routine in health care. The fact that no one was seriously injured this time is sheer luck. But luck is not a safety plan.”
A press release from the BCNU said the the incident follows a string of violent and threatening events at the CDH in recent days, including an assault on a nurse, threats of gun violence toward emergency staff, and damage to hospital property.
The BCNU said this latest incident is a stark example of the need for systemic change across the province, and is calling on the government and health authorities to recognize the enormity of the problem.
“We are relieved that no one was seriously hurt, but this incident is a clear reminder that unsafe working conditions put nurses and the public at risk,” said Gear.
“We are calling on Island Health to acknowledge these dangers and prioritize occupational health and safety to prevent the next crisis before it’s too late.”
The BCNU acknowledged that Island Health has taken several immediate steps following the incident, including installing concrete barriers at the emergency department entrance, temporary protective plexiglass at the triage desk, and conducting a structural assessment of the facility.
However, Gear said these actions, while necessary, are reactive and temporary.
“These are short-term fixes to a long-term problem,” said Gear.
“They don’t address the root causes of chronic short staffing, inadequate security, and a lack of meaningful support for frontline nurses. Until those issues are resolved, both nurses and the public will remain at risk.”
Island Health said in a statement that, other than the incident of the car crashing through the doors of the emergency department on Oct. 25, the only other recent incident of a threat of violence against personnel at the CDH was on Oct. 27 when a patient attended the hospital’s emergency department without a weapon, made threats against staff and was removed without incident by the CDH’s Protection Services.
The health authority said the RCMP were notified of the incident.
“Site leadership at the CDH is not aware of any recent reports of assaults on Island Health staff at the hospital,” Island Health said.
“The health and safety of Island Health staff, medical staff and patients is our top priority. Violence or harassment against or by health care workers is unacceptable and is not tolerated in any form.”
Island Health said that when violence occurs in hospitals, the health authority takes these incidents seriously, and staff are trained to de-escalate situations and when needed, execute a planned response, which includes engagement of Island Health’s highly trained Protection Services Officers and local RCMP to support the safety of everyone involved.
“We acknowledge that incidents like this do unfortunately happen and can have a significant impact on staff,” Island Health said.
“With respect to the recent incidents referenced at CDH, our Protection Services teams responded swiftly and effectively to take the individuals into custody quickly, ensured there were no ongoing threats to staff or patients and worked closely with local RCMP to support their investigations. Island Health leadership was on-site immediately at CDH to support staff and develop appropriate safety and care plans.”
Island Health said hospital staff were supported with critical incident debriefs and connection to employee and family assistance counselling as needed.
Island Health said the health authority has a robust violence prevention program to reduce workplace violence.
“This includes provincial workplace violence training for all staff on how to de-escalate and minimize threats; advanced team response training for key hospital units on how to handle physical violence from patients; violence risk assessments; Code White procedures and training to deal with violent patients or family,” Island Health said.
“We continue to work with our staff and partners on additional anti-violence actions and investments we can make to continue to improve the safety of Island Health staff, medical staff, volunteers and patients.”