Hospital employees, including nurses, are worried about a perceived increase in illegal drugs and weapons in hospitals. drug use and weapons being found in hospitals, as stated in a memo obtained by Global News.
A memo from Northern Health instructs nurses and staff on how to handle illegal drugs in hospitals, advising them not to measure, weigh, or test the substances.
Nurses are also not responsible for monitoring substances for legal purposes and should steer clear of unknown substances.
The BC Nurses’ Union informed Global News that very few health authorities are making their employees feel safe, and concerns are not taken seriously when raised.
Adriane Gear, of the BC Nurses’ Union, mentioned, “Decriminalization does not mean that drug use should occur in a hospital. This needs to be considered and addressed as it is a health and safety issue for our members.”
The safety of nurses and patients in B.C. hospitals was a major topic at the legislature.
“The BC NDP has allowed open drug use, even within our hospitals,” stated Shirley Bond, BC United Health Critic.
The opposition has expressed concerns about the negative impact of B.C.’s drug decriminalization and has claimed that patients are using hard drugs, including smoking fentanyl and meth, in hospital treatment rooms.
As an example, they mentioned that someone was smoking meth shortly after the birth of a newborn baby, putting hospital staff and other patients at risk.
Shirley Bond questioned, “How many more nurses need to be put at risk and infants exposed to illegal drugs in our hospitals before the premier stops the reckless decriminalization experiment?”
“Ending this program won’t save a single life in this province,” responded B.C. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside.
Nurses have also reported an increase in weapons being brought into hospitals along with the surge in drugs.
The procedures require health staff to offer to store weapons, such as knives, for the patient, according to the memo.
