Violence. Still Not Part of the Job.
Tell your MLA: Nurses need protection from workplace violence
Violence against nurses in British Columbia is not only continuing – it’s intensifying. Health-care workers are experiencing physical, verbal, and emotional abuse more frequently, and it is increasingly seen as “normal” in workplaces already stretched thin by chronic understaffing and rising patient acuity.
Now, nurses are speaking up. BCNU’s Violence. Still Not Part of the Job campaign is telling their stories in a series of videos featuring members from acute care, long-term care, and community care. Nurses describe how minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, well-trained security officers, safer workplace design and risk assessments could prevent violence before it happens.
Last October, BCNU presented a list of violence prevention measures to MLAs from across party lines and to every health authority in BC. Despite the calls from frontline nurses for safer workplaces, the government and health employers have yet to meaningfully act on any of these measures.
Violence Prevention Measures for Government:
- Fully Implement Minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
- Enhance the Role of Relational Security Officers Across the Province
- Adopt an Effective Alert System and Technology to Aid Prevention
- Improve Data Collection and Monitoring to Better Mitigate Risks
- Fulfill the Government’s 2016 Promise to Deliver a Violence Prevention Framework
Violence Prevention Measures for Health Authorities:
- Standardize Violence Risk Assessments, so Patients are Placed Appropriately
- Provide Mandatory, Role-Specific Violence Prevention Training
- Establish Effective Incident Reporting, Debriefing, and Support Systems
- Improve Facility Design to Support Safety for Health-Care Workers and Patients
- Make Workplace Safety and Accountability a Consistent Leadership Priority
A 2024 survey of BCNU members paints a sobering picture:
- 81% experience verbal or emotional abuse monthly
- 93% report working short-staffed at least once a month
- 50% of nurses experience physical violence at least once a month
BCNU first launched its “Violence. Not Part of the Job” campaign in 2017, sparking public awareness about the assaults, threats, and abuse nurses face daily. But eight years later, the problem persists — and in many ways, it has worsened. Despite years of advocacy, BC’s health-care system remains under immense pressure. Emergency room closures, overcrowded departments, and inadequate staffing levels have become daily realities, fueling patient frustration and increasing aggression against nurses.
Take action today.
Tell your MLA and health authority leadership to implement the measures outlined by BCNU to protect nurses and ensure safe workplaces. Send a letter using the template below or personalize it with your own message. A copy of your letter will also be sent to:
- Honourable Josie Osborne, Minister of Health
- Anna Kindy, Official Opposition Critic for Health
HEAR FROM OUR MEMBERS:
- Update Magazine story: Violence. Still Not Part of the Job.
Watch our new video series to hear directly from BC nurses about how the BCNU's violence prevention measures would make their workplaces safer — and why change can’t wait.