The Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) is calling for tightened safety and security measures after a nurse was attacked in the emergency room at Winnipeg’s Grace Hospital.

“It was busy, there were very long wait times and a patient got very upset,” union president Darlene Jackson said.

MNU says the incident, which took place on March 26, led to the person accused of committing the violence getting fast-tracked by hospital management and prioritized ahead of other patients to make sure she spent as little time as possible in the ER.

Manitoba health minister Uzoma Asagwara says that’s not the case.

“No folks who are harming staff are being fast-tracked to care. But there are protocols in place to keep staff safe and secure and if folks do require medical care and treatment, they are able to receive that in a safe, secure and appropriate way,” Asagwara said.

In a statement, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority says violence or abuse at work is something no staff member should ever have to worry about.

In this incident, the health authority says police were called immediately and a debrief with hospital leadership and staff occurred afterwards.

Asawgawa says they are continuously working with Grace Hospital to improve safety measures.

“What we are doing and will continue to do is to assess the safety and security needs of sites across Manitoba and take steps to meet their unique needs. So if it’s institutional safety officers, it could be amnesty lockers, it could be signage, a whole host of things,” Asagwara said.

“Fundamentally, one of the most important things we have to do is staff.”

Winnipeg police confirmed they were called to the hospital around 4:15 a.m. on March 26, where they say a nurse had been assaulted by a woman.

Although the suspect fled the scene, police said she was later found outside the hospital and arrested. The woman has been charged with assault and was released on an undertaking.

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