Hospital assault highlights security need
02.05.2008 14:01
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
 Union leader Barbara Brookins wants to know why some hospitals have security guards and others don't.(CBC)An assault on a nurse at a Charlottetown hospital earlier this year has highlighted the need for better security at P.E.I. hospitals, a nurses union president said. Joseph Feehan, 53, was sentenced in provincial court earlier this week to six months in jail for assaulting a nurse in the emergency room at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Feb. 25. Crown prosecutor John McMillan said Feehan was drunk and faking an epileptic fit when he arrived at the emrgency room. When nurses tried to take his vital signs, he hit one nurse in the face with the back of his hand. The incident has raised questions about security in the Island's emergency departments, P.E.I. Nurses Union president Barbara Brookins said. There is no security guard at the QEH, only commissionaires. "To have someone that's trained and on-site, I believe, is definitely a step forward in the safety of our membership," Brookins told CBC News this week. Hospital administration and the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires both say the current security staff has some training in physical restraint, but Brookins said some other P.E.I. hospitals have security guards who have more training. "We need to know why some facilities have security and yet our largest acute care facility does not have security." A growing problemBrookins, who spent 15 years as an emergency room nurse at the Prince County Hospital in Summerside, said it can be a scary job. People coming in, perhaps with a mental illness or under the influence of drugs, can behave in unpredictable ways. Health Minister Doug Currie said the problem does appear to be getting worse. "We've certainly got more complaints forwarded to us," Currie said. The government has budgeted for a major redesign of the QEH emergency department, and Currie hopes that will help. That will begin in June. Currie also said the government might look at changing the type of security staff at the hospital. Post a commentPeople have commented on this storyRecommend this storyPeople have recommended this storyStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKStory comments (0)Sort:Most recent | First to last | Most recommendedPost your commentNote: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are pre-moderated/reviewed and published according to our submission guidelines. Comment:Characters allowed: 2500PostSubmission policyRelatedInternal LinksRenovations start at Prince County Hospital ERPeople who read this also read …Health HeadlinesCanadians create anesthesia system dubbed McSleepy00Scientists at McGill University in Montreal believe they are the first in the world to perform surgery using a totally automated system for administering the drugs needed for general anesthetic.Anti-depressants could ease bowel disease: study00Anti-depressants could help people suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease, as new research points to a link between the condition and depression.May be difficult to handle all cancer tests, Eastern Health warns 00The largest health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador may have difficulty arranging for breast cancer samples to be tested elsewhere amid a widening pathologist shortage, a senior official warns. Medical journal calls for review of Taser safety00An editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal is calling for more study of the health risks posed by stun guns.7 per cent of Ontario students say they've tried choking game: survey00A t least 79,000 elementary and high school students in Ontario say they've tried the choking game, a dangerous activity in which a person self-asphyxiates or has someone else choke them, a new survey of adolescent behaviour has found.Health FeaturesVIDEOGerm trapsToilet seat vs. computer keyboard (Runs 2:08)IN DEPTHBlistersA rite of spring?HEALTHThyroid cancerThough rampant, should it be treated early?HEALTHVision careOpening our eyes to children's health issuesHEALTHLightning ProcessControversial training program comes to Canada
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