The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) is urgently calling for the rapid installation of weapons scanners at urban hospitals, citing a near-daily threat of violence against its members. UNA President Heather Smith stated that nurses face "threats of violence almost daily."
This demand follows a recent stabbing in the emergency department at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital, which left a man with life-threatening injuries. Alberta's Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister, Matt Jones, acknowledged the incident and stated the province is expediting weapons screening and increasing security personnel at the hospital.
However, Smith contends that the minister is downplaying the severity of the issue. She revealed that the UNA has been advocating for weapons detection systems in hospitals since 2023, noting that other provinces have already implemented such measures. Smith is also demanding guaranteed funding for protective services officers in all of Alberta's emergency departments.
She further linked the violence in emergency departments to hospital overcrowding and capacity issues, writing to the minister that "Frustrated, frightened patients and their families having to wait hours in packed emergency departments will inevitably lead to tense situations and outbreaks of violence."
Edmonton police responded to a fight at the hospital on April 3, apprehending one man found with edged weapons. He faces multiple charges.
Other Canadian provinces are also enhancing hospital security. Manitoba is funding police officers and weapon-detection scanners, Saskatchewan is reviewing security and installing metal detectors, and Nova Scotia Health has introduced AI weapons detection systems.
Minister Jones confirmed that the request for proposals for weapons screening at the Royal Alexandra has closed and the government is working to accelerate timelines, stating, "No one - patients, staff, or physicians - should feel unsafe in our hospitals."
A UNA survey last year found that 40 percent of nurses experienced physical violence in the preceding 12 months.