Attacks on Nurses at London Health Sciences Centre Explode in Frequency:

Up to five serious incidents on a single day has ONA calling for immediate action

LONDON, ON, Jan. 20, 2015 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is calling for immediate action from London Health Sciences Centre and the Ministry of Labour to stop the serious escalation of violent attacks on nurses.

ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN is expressing outrage at the situation.

"Violent attacks on our nurses have grown from a total of 18 in 2013 to 360 in 2014, and there have already been 36 incidents in the first few weeks of January alone," she said. "This has left our nurses with head injuries and broken bones, yet the employer and the Ministry of Labour have yet to take action," she said. "London Health Sciences Centre has experienced up to five violent incidents on a single day, yet calls for action by our nurses are being ignored."

Even more concerning is the failure of the Ministry of Labour to send inspectors to the workplace when the incidents are reported.

"The Ministry of Labour has an obligation to investigate and the employer has an obligation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to report violent incidents immediately," says Haslam-Stroud. "Yet the employer has sometimes failed to do so, and the Ministry has been slow to send an inspector. This is simply unacceptable."

Nurses have met with their local ONA representatives to identify gaps that are leaving nurses so vulnerable to violence. These include a staffing shortage, shortage of panic alarms, lack of willingness on the part of management to implement short-term plans while it develops long-term plans, inadequate medicating of patients, a lack of training and resources and lack of violence risk assessments.

"As nurses, we cannot give our patients the best care possible if we are afraid for our safety," said Haslam-Stroud. "It's even more difficult when the people tasked with keeping workers safe delay in investigating assaults and injuries. This employer needs to listen and act when our RNs are flagging that more nursing staff is needed – workplace violence is preventable if the employer and government take action to stop it."

ONA will continue to meet with London Health Sciences Centre management and the Ministry of Labour about taking immediate steps to address this serious situation that is putting patients and RNs at risk.

The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is the union representing 60,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals, as well as more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

Visit us at: www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; Twitter.com/OntarioNurses

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

Ontario Nurses' Association: Sheree Bond, [phone], ext.2430; cell: [phone], [email protected]; Melanie Levenson, [phone], ext. 2369; [email protected]