The BC Nurses含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淲e don含羞草研究社檛 want people with addictions further stigmatized around this,含羞草研究社� BCNU president Adriane Gear said. 含羞草研究社淲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.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲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.含羞草研究社�
B.C. United has cited the memo 含羞草研究社� which says that 含羞草研究社榩atients can use substances while in hospital in their room 含羞草研究社� as evidence of government creating 含羞草研究社渁 free-for-all with open drug use含羞草研究社� and calling for the end of decriminalization.
Gear confirmed instances of 含羞草研究社渋llicit substances being consumed in various care settings含羞草研究社�, but could not describe their extent.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�
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The Northern Health memo points to an 含羞草研究社渋ncrease in admissions of patients with possession of substances and using substances while in hospital含羞草研究社�. It tells staff that the decriminalization means they should neither be searching patients含羞草研究社� personal belongings for substances, nor taking them away if found.
含羞草研究社淚 can tell you that anecdotally, we did not hear from our members on this issue prior to decriminalization,含羞草研究社� Gear said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 not saying it never happened, but it certainly wasn含羞草研究社檛 something that was含羞草研究社eported to the extent that it is now.含羞草研究社�
Gear said nurses support harm reduction, but not at the expense of their own personal safety含羞草研究社� and warned of long-term consequences given B.C.含羞草研究社檚 nursing shortage.
含羞草研究社淲e can go ahead and recruit all the nurses we want,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚f we are going to harm them, if we are not going to improve conditions of work, we are not going to retain them.含羞草研究社�
Health Minister Adrian Dix Thursday reiterated that current policies prohibit the possession and use of substances in hospital environments.
含羞草研究社淭hey are unequivocal and that doesn含羞草研究社檛 mean that they are easy to enforce,含羞草研究社� Dix said. 含羞草研究社淚s it easy to enforce the rules on Ward Six of Hospital X? It含羞草研究社檚 not, of course, it含羞草研究社檚 not.含羞草研究社�
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 含羞草研究社渧ery significantly trained含羞草研究社� relational security officers in 26 acute care hospitals, adding it is not the sole solution.
含羞草研究社淭his is not an issue of (decriminalization),含羞草研究社� he added. 含羞草研究社淭his is an issue of dealing with people in the health-care environment with severe illnesses.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲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.含羞草研究社�
