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Brandon ER Overwhelmed: Nurses Demand Safety & Staffing
26 Oct
Summary
- Nurses union urges Brandon Regional Health Centre to boost security and staffing.
- Patients experience lengthy waits, with one case involving a 13-hour delay.
- Concerns over patient aggression and staff safety due to understaffing.
The Manitoba Nurses Union is issuing a stern call for enhanced security and additional staffing at Brandon Regional Health Centre. Chronic understaffing and escalating security concerns are placing immense pressure on emergency room personnel, while patients are subjected to prolonged wait times. The union emphasizes the need for more physicians and nurses to expedite patient care.
Union president Darlene Jackson highlighted that nurses often face aggression from agitated patients due to these long waits. Recent incidents at the Brandon emergency department include a nurse being threatened with a needle in 2025 and a patient entering with a weapon, which was surrendered without incident. Prairie Mountain Health is implementing AI weapons scanners and other safety measures.
Patients like Michael Houston have experienced over 13-hour waits, leading to potential misdiagnosis, as he did with kidney cancer. Others, like Syed Zunair Ali, while appreciative of the staff's efforts during a visit with his pregnant wife, also noted the strain caused by insufficient healthcare workers. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara acknowledged these concerns, stating that safety improvements, including AI scanners and increased staffing, are being considered.
