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chemgear · 04-09-2024, 08:57 AM

Additional news since about various BC hospitals (not just one HA) since the memo leak to the public.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/wev...source=twitter

'We've absolutely lost control' to drug users, desperate B.C. hospital nurses say

Health-care workers report rampant open drug use, weapons and violence in wake of drug decriminalization

Open drug use, weapons and violence are ubiquitous in B.C. hospitals, jeopardizing the safety of both patients and front-line health workers, nurses say. But the provincial government is playing down the problem, if not outright denying its existence, despite the disturbing stories that have been shared over the past few days.

However, his statement was immediately contradicted by the B.C. Nurses Union, whose president, Adriane Gear, told several media outlets that open drug use and weapons have become “a widespread issue of significant magnitude,” and that these problems spiked after drugs were decriminalized in the province last year. “Before there would be behaviours that just wouldn’t be tolerated, whereas now because of decriminalization, it is being tolerated,” she said.

Laura Martin, a Victoria General Hospital nurse and union steward, told several media outlets that, while non-smoking policies exist, they are simply not being enforced, and nurses are afraid to report drug exposure and violence because “when they have reported, nothing has changed.”

Lily, a Vancouver Island nurse with decades of experience working in hospital settings, told me that drug use and harassment are omnipresent at her hospital, which she characterized as a “glorified homeless unit” (a pseudonym has been used to protect her employment).

She said that drug-addicted patients openly smoke meth and fentanyl in their rooms “every day”; that she has personally witnessed patients inject heroin or get drunk with no consequences; and that dealers traffic illicit substances in the hallways “right in front of everyone.”

Discussing how this has impacted patient care, Lily asked me to imagine my mother or father sitting in a hospital bed and sharing a room with three meth addicts who were filling the air with toxic fumes. Exasperated, she said her hospital often showed great reluctance to kick drug users out, even though some addicts would, in fits of psychosis or withdrawal, “beat the sh-t” out of elderly and disabled patients.

Drug users at Lily’s hospital routinely molest nurses, grab their breasts and subject them to a barrage of sexually inappropriate comments, she said. Yet nurses who complain are given “absolutely zero” support. She recalled one drug-addicted patient who leered at her for hours, mouthing “I’m going to f-cking kill you.” When she reported this to her superiors, nothing happened.

Lily said she was told by hospital administrators that it was fine for patients to have large knives, just so long as they were polite and didn’t threaten anyone.

https://www.cheknews.ca/happening-da...itals-1198194/

Critics have jumped on the topic, calling it outrageous, while nurses told CHEK News that the issue is happening across the province, including on Vancouver Island.

Nurses say they have to walk through toxic plumes of fentanyl from people smoking drugs, and it got so bad that one Island nurse was told not to breastfeed her child out of fear that the milk may be contaminated from drugs she had been exposed to at work.

A Victoria General nurse and union steward who spoke with CHEK News on Thursday said the issue has gotten progressively worse since decriminalization.

“I can definitely tell you it’s happening daily,” said Laura Martin, Victoria General Hospital nurse.

04-09-2024, 08:57 AM	#1306
chemgear Franchise Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Exp:	Additional news since about various BC hospitals (not just one HA) since the memo leak to the public. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/wev...source=twitter 'We've absolutely lost control' to drug users, desperate B.C. hospital nurses say Health-care workers report rampant open drug use, weapons and violence in wake of drug decriminalization Open drug use, weapons and violence are ubiquitous in B.C. hospitals, jeopardizing the safety of both patients and front-line health workers, nurses say. But the provincial government is playing down the problem, if not outright denying its existence, despite the disturbing stories that have been shared over the past few days. However, his statement was immediately contradicted by the B.C. Nurses Union, whose president, Adriane Gear, told several media outlets that open drug use and weapons have become “a widespread issue of significant magnitude,” and that these problems spiked after drugs were decriminalized in the province last year. “Before there would be behaviours that just wouldn’t be tolerated, whereas now because of decriminalization, it is being tolerated,” she said. Laura Martin, a Victoria General Hospital nurse and union steward, told several media outlets that, while non-smoking policies exist, they are simply not being enforced, and nurses are afraid to report drug exposure and violence because “when they have reported, nothing has changed.” Lily, a Vancouver Island nurse with decades of experience working in hospital settings, told me that drug use and harassment are omnipresent at her hospital, which she characterized as a “glorified homeless unit” (a pseudonym has been used to protect her employment). She said that drug-addicted patients openly smoke meth and fentanyl in their rooms “every day”; that she has personally witnessed patients inject heroin or get drunk with no consequences; and that dealers traffic illicit substances in the hallways “right in front of everyone.” Discussing how this has impacted patient care, Lily asked me to imagine my mother or father sitting in a hospital bed and sharing a room with three meth addicts who were filling the air with toxic fumes. Exasperated, she said her hospital often showed great reluctance to kick drug users out, even though some addicts would, in fits of psychosis or withdrawal, “beat the sh-t” out of elderly and disabled patients. Drug users at Lily’s hospital routinely molest nurses, grab their breasts and subject them to a barrage of sexually inappropriate comments, she said. Yet nurses who complain are given “absolutely zero” support. She recalled one drug-addicted patient who leered at her for hours, mouthing “I’m going to f-cking kill you.” When she reported this to her superiors, nothing happened. Lily said she was told by hospital administrators that it was fine for patients to have large knives, just so long as they were polite and didn’t threaten anyone. https://www.cheknews.ca/happening-da...itals-1198194/ Critics have jumped on the topic, calling it outrageous, while nurses told CHEK News that the issue is happening across the province, including on Vancouver Island. Nurses say they have to walk through toxic plumes of fentanyl from people smoking drugs, and it got so bad that one Island nurse was told not to breastfeed her child out of fear that the milk may be contaminated from drugs she had been exposed to at work. A Victoria General nurse and union steward who spoke with CHEK News on Thursday said the issue has gotten progressively worse since decriminalization. “I can definitely tell you it’s happening daily,” said Laura Martin, Victoria General Hospital nurse.