Nurses facing increasing violence and threats, says nursing association

The Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) is again calling for urgent, system-wide safety measures to protect healthcare workers, even as new protections are being implemented at the St Philip District Hospital (SPDH) following the recent violent attack on a nurse.

While the association has commended the swift interventions following the stabbing incident, it maintains this was not an isolated event, with reports of violence against nursing staff reported elsewhere, including at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The BNA said there have also been verbal threats and physical intimidation directed at nurses, many of which remain unreported, uninvestigated, and unresolved.

“No nurse, regardless of their uniform, their shift, or their assignment, should fear for their life while serving others. We are calling on the Government of Barbados to elevate nurse safety from reactive response to proactive national policy,” the association said.

In the wake of the attack on the nurse close to the compound of the St Philip health facility, the association said a raft of measures have been introduced there.

These included the deployment of police patrols, the installation of additional lighting around the hospital perimeter, and the clearing of overgrown vegetation along surrounding roadways. Counselling support was also provided to the affected staff, and a nurse shuttle service was launched with multiple access points. Initial steps were taken towards installing CCTV and establishing full-site guard coverage.

Describing these interventions as welcome, the BNA stressed that such actions must now be extended and accelerated across all public healthcare institutions.

The association highlighted ongoing challenges faced by nurses elsewhere. At the QEH, staff working 12-hour shifts and those delayed during patient handovers after the 1 to 9 p.m. shift often miss available shuttle runs. Psychiatric nurses have reported consistent gaps in safe transport coverage, while the St Michael Geriatric Hospital requires shuttle access both at its current Beckles Road location and its future site near the Botanical Gardens. At the St Lucy District Hospital, a secure and reliable shuttle system is also needed to ensure staff safety.

Despite the recent upgrades at SPDH, nurses continue to contend with dangerous flooding along the facility’s access road, posing a hazard for pedestrians and drivers alike.

In its appeal, the association outlined several critical needs. These include facility-wide shuttle access across all institutions, the development of a National Nurse Security Framework, and a comprehensive mapping of risk zones for healthcare campuses.

The BNA is also calling for an emergency expansion of transport options for vulnerable shifts, drainage upgrades where flooding threatens safety, and immediate infrastructure repairs at locations where staff or patient welfare is compromised.

Additionally, it is advocating for the establishment of anonymous reporting channels, backed by real-time response systems, and the enforcement of a strong, zero-tolerance stance on aggression toward healthcare workers. (PR/BT)