Some Stanton safety concerns to be addressed
Security's inability to physically intervene in crises at Stanton a legislative issue, says medical director; adds emergency staff 'experts' at dealing with potentially violent patients
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 5, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
There have been numerous meetings at Stanton Territorial Hospital between doctors, nurses and hospital administrators over staff safety, following a particularly violent incident in the emergency department Nov. 20, according to Dr. Anna Reid, medical director for the Stanton Territorial Health Authority.
Dr. Anna Reid, medical director for the Stanton Territorial Health Authority, says several meetings regarding staff and patient safety have taken place since a violent incident in the emergency department Nov. 20. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
As Yellowknifer reported on Wednesday, a hospital worker who did not want to be identified, said on that day, a male patient in emergency was dissatisfied with his treatment and flew into a rage. The worker said the man did thousands of dollars of damage to hospital equipment and forced nurses to scramble for safety behind locked doors.
"I came in about 20 minutes after it happened. This was a terrible incident," Reid said.
"The debriefings with staff over what happened and how to ensure they were safe that night began right away."
The incident spurred at least three hospital staff to speak out on what they call a trend of "daily" violence at the hospital, Yellowknifer reported earlier this week. According to a Stanton document obtained by Yellowknifer, there were 18 physical attacks or attempts to lash out at staff in April, May and June; there were 20 such incidents in October, November and December of last year.
Reid said the level of violence in the Nov. 20 incident is uncommon at Stanton. She said in her many years in the heath-care profession she only recalls one other incident where the violence reached a similar level. "The very next day, meetings were held between front-line nurses and physicians and the hospital's senior management team," Reid said.
A meeting between hospital nurses after the Nov. 20 incident came up, resulted in a number of requests, including that administration enable security staff, or hire new security, to physically intervene in a crisis situation. But Reid said territorial legislation prevents security guards from becoming physically involved in an altercation. She said she believes that until the legislation is changed, that will continue to be the case.
Yellowknifer reached out to Twilite Security, the company that provides security guards at Stanton, to try to find out what the security personnel can and can't do. A company spokesperson diverted all questions to hospital administrators.
The staff in emergency is fully trained on how to handle potentially dangerous patients and what to do to de-escalate the situation, Reid said.
"Patients in emergency are often scared, have mental health issues or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol," she said.
"They may think that violence is the best way for them to get what they need. Our emergency department staff members are experts at dealing with them," she said.
She said some of the solutions being looked at right now include a strengthening of the relationship with RCMP, with clearer procedures for when they should be called in, how to best utilize a new security room where hospital staff can, under the mental health act, lock in a patient who appears to be a safety risk, more panic buttons located throughout the hospital, more doors that lock and safe escape routes for hospital staff.
Reid said Accreditation Canada, which works with all hospitals in Canada, did a workplace safety audit in September at Stanton.
"We came through it with flying colours and were 100 per cent compliant."
Dealing with violent patients is not an easy task, said Reid.
"We can't control human behaviour, we can only modify it," she said. "We can't control who comes through the front door so it's very challenging to create a 100 per cent safe environment," she said.
She said she is confident hospital administrators are doing everything they can to make the hospital safe for staff and patients.
"This is my workplace too," she said. "I could have been directly involved in this latest incident."
Meanwhile, Glen Abernethy, minister of Health and Social Services, said hospital staff is "our most valuable resource." He said there is a zero tolerance policy toward abuse at all health care facilities in the territory.
"There is a clear problem and we are working to address it not just at Stanton but at all health facilities across the NWT," he said.
"Debbie DeLancey (deputy minister of Health and Social Services) is meeting with the hospital CEO and others to see what can be done," said Abernethy.
Abernethy said the union, staff and hospital executives will all be involved in the process.
"It's important that our health-care workers not only are safe but feel safe going to work," he said.
Abernethy said the problems of violence in health-care facilities is being looked at territory-wide and he is taking the issue very seriously.
Reid said the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission of the NWT and Nunavut (WSCC) is aware of the incident Nov. 20.
"They contacted the hospital's occupational health and safety committee and were happy that we followed proper procedure," she said. "They made no recommendations to change how we did things."
No further information on this from WSCC could be gained by press time, but Kim Walker, manager of communications, said the organization hasn't heard from Stanton hospital staff.
