A recent report from the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) has uncovered alarming rates of workplace abuse among nurses in Canada. According to the survey, which polled 4,700 nurses, 95 per cent reported experiencing violence or harassment on the job. However, only 46 per cent indicated that they reported these incidents.
Widespread Abuse Despite Legal Changes
Linda Silas, national president of the CFNU, stated that while the union has been aware of the issue for decades, the situation has worsened. 'We were seeing pistols, arms and knives coming into the workplace. And the injuries nurses were having were a lot more severe,' she said. The report aims to provide evidence to policy-makers and push for legal reforms.
In 2022, Bill C-3 amended the Criminal Code to make assaulting a nurse equivalent to assaulting a police officer, an automatic assault. Silas noted that this has helped shift mindsets, but more education is needed.
Understaffing Fuels Abuse
The survey found that 81 per cent of hospital nurses reported their workplaces are regularly over capacity. Involuntary overtime and burnout are consistent issues. Verbal abuse is nearly universal, often from patients and their families, but some nurses also reported bullying from co-workers.
'It all relates back to the staffing and the working conditions. If there’s enough staff to take care of the patients, you can defuse the situation. Whereas right now, we don’t have time to defuse any situation because there’s not enough staffing,' Silas explained.
Fear of Reporting
Many nurses continue to work despite experiencing physical or sexual abuse. One in three nurses fear repercussions from reporting incidents. Less than half of respondents expressed confidence in their workplace’s reporting systems and ability to resolve issues.
