Provincial goverment investing $2 million to protect nurses, other healthcare workers

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Published on Tuesday, April 30, 2013

myWestman.ca

Manitoba health minister Theresa Oswald was in Brandon on Tuesday to announce the provincial government's investment of $2 million to protect nurses, doctors, technologists, health-care aides and other health-care staff from workplace violence.

"Nurses and other health-care professionals dedicate their careers to saving lives, not risking their own lives in the workplace," said Oswald.  "By focusing on safer workplaces, we know it will not only keep health-care employees, patients and families safer, but will also help recruit and retain health professionals in our hospitals, personal care homes and other health facilities to deliver the care patients need."

Oswald said the $2 million will be used to implement a new provincial violence-prevention policy, which includes educating staff on identifying, preventing and responding to workplace violence, and possibly assisting health facilities with acquiring security equipment.

"We want our health-care workers to feel safe and secure in their workplaces and I support this policy as a first and critical step in achieving that goal, and look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders in advancing the violence-prevention agenda provincially," she said.

With files from Manitoba news release