Community Nurse Safety

Published

  1. Have you ever been in an unsafe situation while working in a community setting?

    • 1
      Yes
    • 0
      No

1 member has participated

I have a meeting with an Ontario MPP in regards to community nursing safety in Ontario. Myself and a friend who is a nurse are hoping to have legislation enacted that requires employers to provide personal safety alarms for all of their employees.

Currently the fact of the matter is, if you work in the community and something happened to you it could take hours for even your supervisor to know.

What I'm on here to ask for is, if you are a nurse who work in a community setting and you have had situations occur to you that have made you feel unsafe, I want to bring your story with me to the MPP meeting I have later this week. Please keep specifics as broad as possible so as not to violate any patient confidentiality.

Please feel free to post them or if you want to share them with me privately ask me for my e-mail.

Dan

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am not sure that a poll on a public forum is going to provide valid, reliable data. Have you checked with homecare nursing employers to see if they do workplace violence risk assessments?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes they do, risk assessments on a corporate level, but not so much on a private individual level. Usually if a risk assessment is done on a patient, it's only the patient and not potentially the situation. If the patients family happens to be violent, abusive or anything else then it could potentially be a problem.

Scenario I propose is this, a patient just released to a community care agency is being seen by a nurse for the first time. The patient has decided he wants to harm the nurse for whatever reason when she walks in the door.

As it stands, most companies do not provide the nurse with any sort of personal protection that would enable them to alert someone they are in trouble. Main reason why is cost for such systems is expensive. Should there be a price on a nurses life?

Thank you again for your response, the open forum idea for the poll probably wasn't such a good plan, but the workplace safety aspect is greatly appreciated.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I understand what you are proposing, but if you're going to lobby government for change, the first thing you need is unbiased research to support the hypothesis that a significant number of homecare nurses are concerned about risk of violence when in patient's homes. The method you are currently using is biased and flawed because you are speculating a problem and recommending a solution.

Are you a nurse?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think you are a long ways off from being adequately prepared to meet with your MP. Have there been ongoing incidents of home health nurses being harmed by patients in a community setting? What is the cost to benefit of implementing such a system? Why are you targeting the government, instead of home health agencies?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Actually it's funny how this thread has gone. Yes as a matter of fact is is a problem in agencies, which is why we are meeting with the MP. My significant other is a community nurse and faced an assault in a home, after asking around, it is a larger problem that is hushed by those home health agencies.

I have been doing advocacy work for many years, my preparation for this meeting is the same as always. That said, I'm not targeting the government, I'm asking the government too protect community nurses because the corporations won't spend the money too otherwise.

It is unfortunate to think that in this day and age it could take hours for any community nurse to be noticed missing, injured or in harms way. The technology is out there, cost for that tech is not cheap, but not crazy expensive either, currently it's not a cost that has to be incurred so right now it isn't.

Sometimes after asking corporations to do the right thing and address issues, going the way of speaking with an MPP to rectify the situation is the only course of action. I appreciate the ideas and thoughts of your contribution, If you have anything further to add constructive conversation on any issue is good.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Actually it's funny how this thread has gone. Yes as a matter of fact is is a problem in agencies, which is why we are meeting with the MP. My significant other is a community nurse and faced an assault in a home, after asking around, it is a larger problem that is hushed by those home health agencies.

Sometimes after asking corporations to do the right thing and address issues, going the way of speaking with an MPP to rectify the situation is the only course of action.

Sounds like some homecare employers have not provided employees with mandatory education on workplace violence prevention, maybe they are lagging behind the rest of the healthcare employers? Most healthcare professionals that I know, have received education and are aware of their rights and their employers obligations. Employees can put their employer on notice if they 'hush up' their concerns.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Is your fiance a member of RNAO? Has she contacted RNAO about workplace safety in community nursing? RNAO is experienced with lobbying MPPs, they regularly send petitions to RNAO members to e-sign and submit to MPPs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

@comnursehelper do you know if Ontario community nurse employers are providing non-violent crisis intervention training to their employees?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Update:

Our local MPP is on board. She will be addressing union leaders and working towards a solution to keep workers safe. I am tasked with getting more stats and information from different areas.

Dishes... in her workplace and others no such training exists. As a former armed forces member I'm working with a few friends to set up a self-defense course free of charge to nurses ( including non-violent negotiation ) but that takes time and is not the overall solution. Being able to get yourself out of a situation is good, knowing help is on the way at the push of a button is even better.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Public Health.
Update:

Our local MPP is on board. She will be addressing union leaders and working towards a solution to keep workers safe. I am tasked with getting more stats and information from different areas.

Dishes... in her workplace and others no such training exists. As a former armed forces member I'm working with a few friends to set up a self-defense course free of charge to nurses ( including non-violent negotiation ) but that takes time and is not the overall solution. Being able to get yourself out of a situation is good, knowing help is on the way at the push of a button is even better.

A lot of the major home care companies aren't unionized, though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We are aware of that, many are forced to not get a union for fear they will be fired or lose a contract if they do unionize. She's putting out feelers to find out from them what they know.

If they can't help by pushing legislation in the right direction, she'll do what she has to on her own. Having allies in the private and public sector is a good thing when taking on large corporations.

As I've said, any suggestions are appreciated!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion