In the wake of Wednesday’s deadly shooting inside Guelph General Hospital, the union representing Ontario’s nurses is calling for increased security in emergency rooms.
“We are seeing a dramatic rise in the number of incidences of violence … and situations that leave other health professionals, patients and families at risk,” Ontario Nurses’ Association vice-president Vicki McKenna said Friday.
Concerns about aggressive behaviour in the hospital had actually been raised some time ago.
For several months, hospital staff had been trying to figure out policies and procedures to keep staff out of harm’s way.
“Aggressive behaviours were escalating in our emergency department,” hospital president and CEO Marianne Walker told CTV News.
Security has also been stepped up since Wednesday’s shooting.
“If you ask me ‘Do we have enough?’, I’d say no. We always need more,” Walker said.
McKenna says the issue isn’t unique to Guelph General Hospital, and the ONA wants to see a provincial strategy created.
“We need strategies so that our patients and staff are safe,” McKenna said.
Some staff members who witnessed the shooting – the first in the history of the Guelph Police Service – have returned to work.
Hospital officials have said affected staff members don’t have to return to work until they are mentally and physically able to do so.
Counselling services are also on offer.
Few details have been released by authorities about exactly what transpired inside Guelph General Hospital’s emergency room on Wednesday.
The incident remains under investigation by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, which had previously said it would release the name of the man shot dead on Friday.
That didn’t happen – due to the wishes of the man’s family, an SIU spokesperson said – but he was identified as being 36 years old.
The man received multiple gunshot wounds during the altercation, the SIU said.
