from the pages of HEALTHCARE SECURITY WEEKLY

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A patient waiting in the emergency department of the Rouge Valley Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, ONT, for many hours because of a bed shortage entered the nurse’s lounge earlier this month, grabbed a knife, and stabbed himself, reported the Toronto Sun.  He suffered serious injuries.

The incident, which temporarily shut down the emergency department, left the nurses directly involved traumatized and every nurse in the hospital shaken, the Sun reported. Ironically, the day before the incident, a nurse who is the local representative of the Ontario Nurses Association had met with the hospital president to express concerns about the effects cutbacks on security were having on the safety of nurses, the newspaper said.

The nurses’ union is seeking amendments to Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety Act to make psychological harassment and bullying workplace hazards, the Sun reported.