Health-care work shouldn’t be dangerous

In many ways, the past two-plus years that Islanders have been dealing with COVID-19 have brought out the best of what makes us Islanders.

Especially during the early days of the pandemic, when lockdowns and "keeping your cohort small" were facts of life.

Back then, both traditional and social media were filled with stories of Islanders rising to the challenge of looking out for each other such as dropping off food to a neighbour who lived along, shovelling out driveways after a storm or just calling up and asking if they need anything.

However, as the pandemic drags on with no definitive end in sight, frustration is growing.

Patience is still a virtue but more and more it seems to be in short supply.

Some people seem to feel they have the right to criticize somebody else's decision whether to wear a mask or not, not acknowledging that other people may have a different comfort level about interacting in public.

In the healthcare system, that frustration seems to boil over into physical and verbal abuse against healthcare professionals who are doing the best job they can under trying circumstances.

This has led Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly to call for increased security in the emergency departments at Island hospitals.

The Charlottetown-area MLA said he has been contacted by staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital who told him they don't feel safe due to an increase in violent incidents.

While the violence sometimes results from the nature of the patient's illness, there is also concern long waits in emergency rooms can lead to frustrations boiling over.

Unfortunately, the long waits and threats of violence existed before the arrival of the pandemic and will likely still be a fact of life even after it fades.

The waits are in part the result of staff shortages due to burnout and overwork, meaning there is no easy answer.

It is also far from being a problem that is unique to this province. A new federal law came into force earlier this year designed to protect health care professionals and their patients from violence and harassment.

A survey conducted by the P.E.I. Nurses Union indicated 53 per cent of the organization's members have experienced violence in the workplace.

They indicated the source of that violence was usually the patient or the family member of a patient. Union president Barbara Brookins said the threat of violence is becoming a major factor in the retention of people in the profession.

Nobody likes to wait hours and hours in an emergency room. It is uncomfortable (even more during COVID since a mask is still recommended) and it can be boring.

However, there are no circumstances where lashing out physically or verbally at staff is going to improve things.

I had a 10-plus-hour wait earlier this year and, I'll be honest, I don't want to repeat the experience anytime soon.

However, my problem was dealt with and I went home.

For the staff working in the emergency and waiting rooms, that is their workplace and the reality they deal with every day. It is a pressure-packed environment at the best of times.

The staff don't need to worry about whether they are going to be threatened or assaulted.

We as a society can do better.