The president of the Manitoba Nurses Union is pushing for institutional safety officers to be hired at the Swan Valley Health Centre.
ISOs are peace officers and require training in crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, investigation skills, collecting evidence and report writing.
Darlene Jackson says there has been a rapid increase and escalation in violence in hospitals and clinics around the province.
"Especially in Swan River and some other areas, there is definitely a need for a bit more than a security guard," said Jackson. "I believe we need someone who has some policing abilities that can deal with situations and de-escalate without having to call the RCMP."
There have been several incidents in the last year where nurses have been assaulted in the province. In recent months, a nurse had a water bottle thrown at her. Threats have been made on many occasions, and according to Jackson, nurses are physically assaulted on a fairly regular basis in this province.
In November, Swan River RCMP were called to the emergency department when an intoxicated man locked himself in the bathroom with a knife. Jackson says she would like to see two ISOs staffed in Swan River around the clock.
Knowing that it may come down to money, Jackson is calling on Prairie Mountain Health and the Manitoba government to fund ISOs at the facility.
"We have to stop being so reactive and, as a health care system, become proactive," said Jackson. "At the Health Sciences Centre, we waited until a nurse was sexually assaulted in the tunnels under the facility. As a society, we need to say this is unacceptable and we won't let this happen. It needs to stop now, and we need to put up safeguards so it does."
According to PMH, Brandon is the only city outside of Winnipeg that has ISOs in a health-care facility.
"The nurses often say that they appreciate having a safety officer on the premises; it really does provide a level of comfort," added Jackson. "Not just for the staff, but the patients, and families that are sitting in the waiting room when an escalation happens. It provides comfort knowing there is someone who can actually do something."
Jackson plans to come to Dauphin and Swan River next month to speak with nurses. She wants to know what can be done to advocate for nurses and encourages any nurse feeling unsafe at work to reach out to their union.
Darlene doesn't want nurses to be going through things alone.
"Dauphin has a fairly significant vacancy rate," ended Jackson. "We need to get nurses in there working in the public system. Not providing a safe environment stands in the way of recruiting and retaining nurses in our province."
In November, two representatives of the Manitoba Nurses Union met with nurses at the Swan Valley Health Centre. From the meeting, the union put forward clear, non-negotiable safety demands and followed through with a formal safety grievance.
They included amnesty lockers, visitor screening and badges, whistles and noise-making devices provided to staff, and funding for an additional emergency room nurse, ensuring three nurses on every shift.
