By Shamar Blunt
The organisation representing nurses in public healthcare has called for urgent action – including a panic hotline – to combat violence and security problems they face daily.
President of the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) Dr Fay Parris told reporters on Tuesday that while challenges in the healthcare environment persist, such as low pay and a lack of resources, violence and harassment have driven medical workers’ fears for their well-being.
“This constant exposure to violence is reflected even in the comments of the public, in the print, online, and social media, affecting the psychological state of many nurses who deliver quality healthcare,” she said. “Unfortunately, we have been seeing a disturbing increase in the number of incidents where nurses and healthcare workers are assaulted, threatened, harassed or intimidated by patients, relatives, or members of the public.
“Episodes of violence are occurring in polyclinics, the A&E (Accident & Emergency) Department, ward areas, psychiatric hospitals and geriatric hospitals. This is unacceptable and intolerable; it is a violation of their human right and dignity as well as a threat to their safety and quality of care.”
Joining a news conference called by the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations (CTUSAB) to comment on a range of social issues affecting industrial relations, Dr Parris weighed in on the recent threats against a St Philip Polyclinic nurse by a patient’s knife-wielding relative. She issued a raft of proposals to keep healthcare workers safe.
“Increase the security presence and surveillance at all healthcare facilities, especially in high-risk areas such as emergency departments, isolation wards, psychiatric units and polyclinics. Provide personal protective equipment, pandemic buttons, and communication devices to all nurses and healthcare workers who may encounter violent situations. Establish a hotline and a reporting system for nurses and healthcare workers to report any incidence of violence and abuse, ensuring that they receive prompt and appropriate follow-up and assistance,” the BNA head said.
“Provide training and counselling for healthcare workers on how to manage tense situations within healthcare facilities, as well as strengthen the legal framework to assist in prosecuting persons found to have committed violent acts against staff.”
While acknowledging that authorities have sought to respond to most incidents as they arose, Dr Parris said they needed to be more proactive in their approach, given the sensitive nature of the job.
“There have been measures placed at some of the polyclinics where there is a high incidence of violence occurring, but there [is] potential for violence at other polyclinics so we want to see these areas addressed as well,” she said. “We also need consistent support within the acute care setting and the Accident & Emergency [Department].”
