The incident 'certainly serves as a wake-up call, not only for Vancouver Coastal, but for all health authorities'
A student nurse was stabbed by a patient wielding a pocket knife in British Columbia.
The incident happened at the Vancouver General Hospital around 9 a.m. on Thursday, according to a report from CTV News.
A 48-year-old male patient attacked the student nurse, inflicting injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Vancouver police arrested the suspect but returned him to hospital care due to ongoing medical and psychiatric needs.
Police said they will be forwarding a report to Crown counsel with charge recommendations, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the student nurse was okay physically, said BC Nurses Union president, according to the report.
However, Gear expressed concern about the impact of what happened on the student or other students hoping to become nurses.
"I really hope this student nurse will continue with her journey of becoming a nurse," she said. "Despite the challenges, it's a very good profession, and we need more nurses."
The incident "certainly serves as a wake-up call, not only for Vancouver Coastal, but for all health authorities," she said.
"There are policies around violence and violence prevention. Frankly, I don't think that they're adhered to," Gear said.
"It's not acceptable that nurses are being assaulted on the job, and it's absolutely not acceptable that student nurses who are entering our profession are subjected to such a risk."
Previously, a former nurse manager at a New Brunswick hospital called for collective action to put in place preventive measures against violence against nurses and other healthcare workers.
