Workplace violence is a reality for many P.E.I. nurses, but accountability is rare, according to a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.

The survey, conducted last summer, found that 88 per cent of nurses surveyed on P.E.I. said they experienced workplace harassment in the previous year, with 36 per cent of those members saying they experienced five or more incidents in that timeframe. 

The survey also found that 51 per cent of the nurses surveyed did not report their most recent incidence of workplace violence. 

“When they bring concerns forward, it doesn’t seem like there’s any meaningful change, for the most part, to protect them,”  said Kim Sears, president of the P.E.I. Nurses’ Union. 

“Violence — whether it’s physical or verbal — is not part of nursing. You know, we’re here to take care of patients and Islanders, not absorb the violence and frustration in the system.”

Sears said more needs to be done to ensure the concerns of nurses are heard and that they are made to feel safe at work. 

‘No meaningful change’

Health P.E.I. said all of its employees deserve to work in a safe and respectful work environment. 

“Under Health P.E.I.’s Violence Prevention Policy, violence includes any act of aggression — physical, sexual, verbal, or psychological — that threatens or harms staff, patients, or visitors,” the health authority said in an emailed statement. 

Health P.E.I. added that it tracks all reports of violence through an incident management system, and follows up on everything submitted through that system. 

The issue, however, is that many instances of violence don’t ever get reported.

“It just feels like you’re filling out the paperwork and it takes a really long time for change to happen if it does,” Sears said.

Even when changes are implemented, she said, they’re not always effective.

For example, Bill C-3 aimed to amend the Criminal Code of Canada and create a new intimidation offence for provoking a state of fear in health-care professionals. 

“While the bill passed, there’s been no meaningful change, and there’s very few people that are actually prosecuted for acts of violence against health-care workers,” Sears said. “Unfortunately, it hasn’t really panned out in reality.” 

Although there’s enhanced security at some of the Island’s larger health facilities like the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sears said those measures should be system-wide. 

Implementing others — like swipe-card access, enhanced security cameras, personal safety alarms and specialized safety training — is something the union stands behind, and believes should be prioritized.

Another way to address the problem is through improving staffing ratios, Sears said. 

“It’s all tied,” she said. “People aren’t  connected to primary care providers, so there’s longer wait times and … the public gets frustrated.” 

After seeing the results of the Canada-wide survey, Sears said she took away one key message: “Violence is not isolated to one area, one specific spot, either in Canada or Prince Edward Island. It’s a systemic issue, really.”