Violence against nurses sparks fresh safety calls

Three nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital were attacked by a patient wielding a sharp object early on Wednesday, in the second violent incident targeting the nursing community in less than a month, prompting renewed calls for urgent action to protect healthcare staff.

The female patient had the object concealed before she attacked the nurses, who received immediate medical and psychological support, the hospital’s communications specialist Shane Sealy confirmed. 

While the injuries were not life-threatening, the incident sparked renewed concerns over the safety of healthcare professionals both inside and outside medical facilities. 

The Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) urged health authorities to install panic buttons on all hospital wards and conduct a comprehensive review of security protocols. 

“And to the public,” BNA President Dr Fay Parris said in a strong appeal, “stop the violence against nurses. They care for you. Let’s care for them.”

“We also urge nurses to take proactive steps to protect themselves. Over the past two weeks, BNA has started facilitating the provision of self-defence sessions and ‘Safety First’ webinars—both eligible for continuing education credits. BNA invites all nurses, nursing personnel and nursing students to make use of this opportunity to learn the skills to protect themselves.” 

The latest attack comes just weeks after a nurse was assaulted near the St Philip District Hospital. The BNA had raised serious concerns then—and is now intensifying its calls for stronger protections.

A BNA team visited QEH in the aftermath of Wednesday’s incident and spoke to injured nurses, according to Dr Parris, who said the BNA was assured the matter is under investigation, that immediate safety steps have been taken, and that counselling is being arranged.

In light of mounting concerns from nurses, the association has invited the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and officials to a virtual town hall this week to address safety challenges. It is awaiting confirmation of the meeting’s date and time.

After the latest incident, the QEH issued a statement saying that the staff who were attacked, and others present at the time were understandably shaken by the event. 

“Immediate medical attention and psychological support were offered to all affected personnel. The matter is being reviewed by hospital management in collaboration with The Barbados Police Service, and QEH is providing full support to ensure all aspects of the incident are understood,” Sealy said.

QEH Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark added that the safety of staff, patients and visitors remains paramount.

He said: “We take this matter extremely seriously. The safety and well-being of our staff, patients, and visitors is always our top priority.”

Sealy added that as part of its routine commitment to continuous improvement, the hospital will use this incident “to reflect on and further refine existing safety procedures.”

Police Service spokesman Acting Inspector Ryan Brathwaite confirmed to Barbados TODAY that the incident had been reported to the police and investigations were under way. 

(SB)