Hillside Psychiatric Centre in Kamloops (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

HEALTHCARE SECURITY

B.C. Nurses’ Union hoping for more security at high-risk facilities in Kamloops

Oct 28, 2022 | 11:22 AM

KAMLOOPS — The provincial government is beefing up security by adding 320 more security guards at 26 medical facilties across B.C., as announced earlier this week.

Royal Inland Hospital is one of the sites that will receive more security personnel to keep nurses and patients safe, but the B.C. Nurses’ Union wants more security at high-risk sites like Hillside Psychiatric Centre in Kamloops.

“It was certainly identified in the past as a high-risk site that saw some investment to create some safety measures that I think at the time did have some positive impact, but that would certainly be a site that we would be interested in ensuring they too receive some additional security measures,” noted BCNU Vice President Adriane Gear.

The nurses’ union has been pushing for more security at facilities since 2017. BCNU says the situation has only worsened since the pandemic with staff shortages contributing to violent incidents.

“There’s a definite correlation between not having enough nurses and other healthcare workers to provide the care. Patients waiting for care, waiting for treatment, perceiving they are being denied,” said Gear. “It certainly creates some really high-stress situations for patients and for families, and so nurses are seeing, especially verbal abuse, really on the incline.”

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CFJC Today reached out to Interior Health to ask how many security guards will be provided and their roles at RIH, but IH noted it doesn’t have details yet.

Neither does the B.C. Nurses’ Union, but it hopes to be part of the implementation of the security.