Alberta health care workers claim they're receiving more harassment and violence on the job
Overworked staff, long wait times and a nearly two-year-long pandemic are just some of what an Alberta doctor says is making the existing problem of abuse in hospitals even worse.
“It’s not at all uncommon to have very kind of verbally abusive and sometimes physically abusive patients and families,” said Dr. Paul Parks with the Alberta Medical Association.
He believes those issues are increasing in all areas of any given hospital.
“It’s hard when anybody experiences it, but I think the nurses probably get 10 fold worse,” Parks told CTV News Edmonton.
It’s a problem that is not unique to Alberta.
The Canadian Medical Association says code whites, which are used to alert health care workers of threats of violence, are being called on a regular basis.
In an episode of the association's podcast, it estimates that more than 50 per cent of emergency department nurses will be sexually harassed or assaulted this year.
The CMA also says most ER doctors believe that violence on the job has been going up for several years and is accelerating as the pandemic drags on.
"Everybody's testy, and patients have shorter fuses, families have shorter fuses," said Toronto ER physician Dr. Howard Ovens.
"The people who are responsible for their actions, some competent patients, many family members are acting out, especially around things like visitor restrictions as well as wait times."
In December, the CMA called on the federal government to make abusive behaviour towards medical staff a criminal offence.
The AMA is calling for more resources and better training to deal with dangerous situations.
"We have to be careful because if we don't change the environment, even once this pandemic does eventually end, we might not have any nurses or staff around to care for sick people," Parks said.
In a statement to CTV News last month, AHS said it is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees and volunteers. Workers can receive support through the crisis management team or the Employee and Family Assistance Program.
"We've recently seen an increase in the number of AHS staff accessing our mental health supports and online learning opportunities to support their mental health and well-being," an AHS spokesperson wrote.
"As an organization, we are exploring and always trying to find ways to improve our resources and supports in place to ensure our staff get the right resources to support and promote mental health throughout the pandemic."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Joe Scarpelli
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.