The BC Nurses91裸聊视频� Union wants a better balance struck between the needs of patients dealing with addiction and the safety of health care providers.
The issue gained attention after a leaked Northern Health memo instructing staff on how to deal with patients using substances in hospitals despite prohibitions.
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 want people with addictions further stigmatized around this,91裸聊视频� BCNU president Adriane Gear said. 91裸聊视频淲e need appropriate harm reduction measures and strategies, but we also need to keep people providing the care safe and we can do that. But it does require the employer taking this (issue) seriously and developing appropriate policies, enforcing them and providing appropriate education, resources and support for people.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e need to work on the safety culture, period. There (are a) lot of things that injure and harm nurses in addition to illicit substance exposures, so let us take this opportunity to critically look at the situation.91裸聊视频�
B.C. United has cited the memo 91裸聊视频� which says that 91裸聊视频榩atients can use substances while in hospital in their room 91裸聊视频� as evidence of government creating 91裸聊视频渁 free-for-all with open drug use91裸聊视频� and calling for the end of decriminalization.
Gear confirmed instances of 91裸聊视频渋llicit substances being consumed in various care settings91裸聊视频�, but could not describe their extent.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 difficult, but I can tell you that (Vancouver Island) has been a hotbed and WorkSafeBC has been involved. They have done inspections. They have issued orders.91裸聊视频�
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The Northern Health memo points to an 91裸聊视频渋ncrease in admissions of patients with possession of substances and using substances while in hospital91裸聊视频�. It tells staff that the decriminalization means they should neither be searching patients91裸聊视频� personal belongings for substances, nor taking them away if found.
91裸聊视频淚 can tell you that anecdotally, we did not hear from our members on this issue prior to decriminalization,91裸聊视频� Gear said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not saying it never happened, but it certainly wasn91裸聊视频檛 something that was91裸聊视频eported to the extent that it is now.91裸聊视频�
Gear said nurses support harm reduction, but not at the expense of their own personal safety91裸聊视频� and warned of long-term consequences given B.C.91裸聊视频檚 nursing shortage.
91裸聊视频淲e can go ahead and recruit all the nurses we want,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚f we are going to harm them, if we are not going to improve conditions of work, we are not going to retain them.91裸聊视频�
Health Minister Adrian Dix Thursday reiterated that current policies prohibit the possession and use of substances in hospital environments.
91裸聊视频淭hey are unequivocal and that doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean that they are easy to enforce,91裸聊视频� Dix said. 91裸聊视频淚s it easy to enforce the rules on Ward Six of Hospital X? It91裸聊视频檚 not, of course, it91裸聊视频檚 not.91裸聊视频�
Dix said that B.C. is taking every step to ensure nurses and other health professionals do not become police officers.
He pointed out that government has hired 320 91裸聊视频渧ery significantly trained91裸聊视频� relational security officers in 26 acute care hospitals, adding it is not the sole solution.
91裸聊视频淭his is not an issue of (decriminalization),91裸聊视频� he added. 91裸聊视频淭his is an issue of dealing with people in the health-care environment with severe illnesses.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲hen people come to hospital, we do everything we can to help them get better and to keep people safe. That will continue to be our policy every day.91裸聊视频�
