Collateral Damage, Part 4 the final part of the Montreal Gazette feature on security at the Montreal General Hospital

 

Below are excerpts, from part 4 the final part of the Montreal Gazette feature on security at the Montreal General Hospital, for the complete story click HERE to visit the Montreal Gazette.
As a nurse toiling the overnight shift in the cramped emergency room of the Montreal General Hospital, Sarah (Not her real name) has faced all manner of abuse over the years.
She’s been called a “f—ing bitch” by patients angry for having to wait hours on end. She’s received death threats by others coked out of their minds. She’s been spat upon, bitten and punched, sometimes by elderly patients with advanced dementia.

“In a hospital milieu when an incident of physical violence occurs, there are a lot more witnesses than direct victims,” Guay said. “These people can also be affected by the events.

A study last year by the provincial workplace safety commission, CNESST, revealed that health-care employees are subjected to more psychological and physical violence than any other profession, including law enforcement. The study also found that violence in the health sector rose by 8.3 per cent from 2012 to 2015.