For Immediate Release Monday, July 30, 2007
Nurses have been raising security concerns at the Royal Alex psychiatric units for years
Violent incidents increasing on units
The psychiatric department at the Royal Alexandra Hospital has had internal problems for some time, charges the United Nurses of Alberta. The nurses have been pushing for improved security and staffing for years, but the department has failed to take adequate safety precautions.
“Nurses have been raising many concerns that more and more of the patients in the psychiatric units at the Royal Alex actually should be in a high-risk forensic unit,” says UNA Vice President Bev Dick. “There has been constantly increasing acuity and increasing risk of violence.”
There have been a number of violent incidents on the unit and the frequency of the violence is increasing.
The United Nurses of Alberta Local at the Royal Alexandra Hospital has filed a large number of Occupational Health and Safety complaints on behalf of nurses concerned about security and staffing.
The hospital had taken some steps but many concerns remained unaddressed and the nurses were about to take their concerns directly to the Capital Health Board of Directors.
“This tragic death could possibly have been prevented if some of the concerns of the nurses working on the psych units had been listened to,” says UNA Vice President Bev Dick. “The nurses have been repeatedly requesting increased security including a Special Constable on the unit and other safety improvements,” she said.
Morale levels and high turnover in staffing, high overtime, double-shifts, and inadequate staffing have also been major concerns for the nurses at the unit.
“We’ve raised concerns for several years and some of our members have suffered retribution because they have pushed for safety changes,” Bev Dick says.
“Sometimes we say, ‘Does somebody have to die before nurses concerns are taken seriously.’ Well, in this case, sadly someone has died,” Bev Dick said.
—30—
For more information:
Bev Dick, Vice-President, United Nurses of Alberta 780 425-1025
| 
