nursingforsocialjustice

Violence in healthcare is a big issue. Nurses are often subjected to violence in healthcare spaces. Sometimes this violence is from patients as families, sometimes it comes from coworkers including physicians and other nurses. More recently serious incidents of violence perpetrated by nurses has gained media attention with respect to overt racism, involuntary mental health admissions and abuse of older adult patients in long term care facilities. Nurses can be agents of change, uncovering the problems in the system. Nurses can be leaders in challenging stereotypes and reframing ideas about patient violence to help create safe spaces for patients, families and healthcare clinicians.

In this month’s episode of The Shift Change we chatter with Trish, a Registered Psychiatric Nurse who works in community health in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside to gain some insight into her experience and how nurses can both do better and demand better from the healthcare.

Peace,

Michelle D.