A nurse working in the psychiatric emergency room of a Quebec City hospital is calling for stronger security measures after she said she was attacked while she and a colleague were trying to subdue an aggressive patient.
In an interview with Noovo Info, Patsy Van Damme described what happened at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval.
The nurse said the patient began attacking her colleague, so Van Damme stepped in to help.
She said she found herself trapped in the unit, under relentless blows from the patient, who she said also pulled her by the hair and tried to strangle her.
“He hit me with all his might. My colleague managed to escape with great difficulty, and I was left alone with the patient,” she said. “I lived through hell. I was scared. My colleagues were scared. We were all scared for our lives.”
Van Damme said she chose to speak out to bring about change and criticize the lack of a dedicated security guard in the psychiatric wing, a position that was eliminated following budget cuts.
“The money never makes it to the front lines. I’m the result of their decisions,” she said, pointing to her bruised face.
Staff members must call for help by pressing panic buttons that only work intermittently, Van Damme explained.
“It’s an old system that works sometimes, and sometimes it doesn’t,” she said. “I’ve never seen anyone check those buttons.”
Hospital response
In an email sent to Noovo Info, the CHUL confirmed that it is aware of the incident and is currently analyzing the sequence of events and the interventions carried out.
The CHUL said security guards are present throughout its facilities but aren’t stationed in specific units.
“At the CHUL, as in the other hospitals in the system, security guards aren’t assigned to specific units but make regular rounds through all departments,” the hospital stated.
Regarding the response time, the hospital noted that the “panic button” worn by psychiatric emergency staff allows them to call for help within 15 seconds and the team dedicated to violent patient incidents can respond within one minute.
“In the situation described, it took less than a minute for the response team to arrive on the scene, which is in line with standards. We understand that for those who were experiencing this situation, the wait may have seemed interminable,” the statement added.
‘I definitely want better security’
When asked if she has a message for political parties ahead of this fall’s elections, Van Damme said something needs to change.
“I think everything in the health-care system needs to be overhauled,” she said. “We’re going in circles.”
Investments in healthcare rarely trickle down to the resources workers need, she said.
“They invest millions, but by the time it gets to us there’s barely $500 left — I can’t even buy a flashlight. I’m the one who supplied the flashlights for the night shift.”
Van Damme is still unsure if she’ll return to her job after the traumatic experience.
“I’m scared. I feel fear. It’s a hard job,” she said. “It’s too soon to say whether I want to go back or not. But I definitely want better security.”
- With files from Noovo Info and CTV News Montreal’s Rob Lurie
