'It shouldn't be part of the job' - CUPE campaigns against workplace violence in hospitals

Most people expect a hospital to be a safe place.

But physical, verbal and sexual assaultis a growing problemin Ontario hospitals, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The union has begun a campaign against workplace violence, since the problem hasbecome a regular part of the job for many hospital staff.

• Workplace violence against health-care workers under-reported, largely ignored

• Attacks by patients on nurses called rampant

"It's not right, it shouldn't be part of the job. We should be like everybody else in Ontario [who]goes to work [and] doesn't have to expect some kind of violence," says DaveShelefontiuk, president of theCUPElocal in Sudbury, Ont.

The unionrepresents 1,200 staff at Health Sciences North (HSN), the hospital in Sudbury.

Big problem inhealth care

The majority of incidents at HSN are physical and verbal threats, or disorderly conduct, says DavidMcNeil, vice president of Patient Services. He adds thatworkplace violence is a significant problem throughout the health care field.

"It's an issue that particularly in hospitals across the province is a problem," saysMcNeil. He blames the growing demand for health care.

"While we're implementing strategies and processes, the volume of patients is growing within health care, and the demands for health care are growing. We're seeing way more patients than we did five years ago."

Violence continues to be a problem, despite policies and strategies for prevention says McNeil.

At HSN, hospital officials haveimplementedpolicies on reporting andhow staff can protect themselves.McNeilsays they are also providing education on how to recognize potential violence and how to react.

"We work very closely with our joint occupational health and safety committee, which does have both employee representatives from the union perspective, as well as other volunteer employees."

When there is an incident, that committee reviews the details and data to try to determine ways to prevent similar events in the future.

There isn't one single solution, admitsMcNeil. Rather, he says there needs to be community-led efforts to discourage violence in hospitals.

"I think there are things that can happen within the community and broader society that make it unacceptable to come into health care facilitiesto be violent," saysMcNeil.

Baby steps to a solution

Although the hospital has made an effort to address the issue through its health and safety committee,Shelefontiuksays more still needs to be done.

"We know it's going to be baby steps. We don't expect to go from 10 per cent of workplace violence to zero,"Shelefontiuksays.

The union's campaign against workplace violencewill include releasing the results of an internal poll on workplace violence in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, contract negotiations betweenCUPE'sOntario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU)and the Ontario Hospital Association stalled last week.The union says OHA is refusing to work together to tackle the workplace violence issue.

The two sides hadbeen in bargaining since June for a newcollective agreement for the 27,000 hospital staff across Ontario.

CUPEwants all health care workers tobe able tospeak up about the violence they experience, without being reprimanded for doing so, says Sudbury's Sharon Richer, OCHU's secretary-treasurer.

• North Bay nurse fired for comments about hospital violence, CUPE leader says

"Nurses being sexually assaulted by patients touching them inappropriately, being yelled at ...we've had nurses that currently are off and will never be able to return to work because they've been beaten so badly," Richer says.

That violence could come from the patients, but it may also come from the patients' loved ones Richer says.

In a statement to CBC, the OHA says it takes concerns about workplace violence very seriously, and will continue to work with the government and other organizations to ensure its hospitals are safe.