Front-Line Registered Nurses Observe National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence against Women
Members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), the union representing 53,000 front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals working in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community and industry, are joining with others to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.
ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, notes that as nurses mark this day of remembrance, RNs are also awaiting the recommendations of a coroner's jury in Windsor, who have just heard weeks of testimony about the workplace murder of Lori Dupont, RN.
“Our members were horrified when Lori was brutally stabbed to death at the hands of anesthetist Marc Daniel,” says Haslam-Stroud. “The issue of violence against women is a personal one to all of us, and we hope that the jury's recommendations – when released – will be acted upon by health-care facilities and government, and keep women in health care safer from attacks.”
In addition to marking the day, some ONA members are speaking at rallies and events to mark December 6. ONA notes that nurses – who are predominantly women – are the victims of workplace violence far more than even police or firefighters. ONA is looking for the precautionary principle – the directive to err on the side of caution – to be embedded in the Occupational Health and Safety Act to better protect front-line workers from attack.
Last month in Toronto, three nurses were violently attacked by unstable and unpredictable patients at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Two required surgery, having suffered a broken jaw and a broken shoulder.
For more information: Ontario Nurses' Association
Sheree Bond (416) 964-8833, ext. 2430 Cellular: (416) 986-8240
Melanie Levenson (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369