Employees of the psychiatry department of the Gaspé hospital feel that their safety is threatened and are currently refusing to report to work.
In psychiatry, staff often work with an aggressive clientele, therefore with behaviors that can endanger staff and other patients, explains the president of the Eastern Quebec Nurses, Nursing Assistants and Respiratory Therapists Union (SIIIEQ), Pier-Luc Bujold.
He clarifies that in such a situation, staff have the right to resort to a work refusal.
Currently, psychiatric staff, nurses and nursing assistants, are not comfortable working in the department for their own safety.
A quote from Pier-Luc Bujold, president of the SIIIEQ
For confidentiality reasons, no details regarding the patient who caused this situation can be revealed.
By email, the CISSS de la Gaspésie claims to have found solutions using internal resources to avoid a complete closure of the unit.
It is important to understand that we are not at maximum capacity under these circumstances. However, we are avoiding closing the unit. Each admission will have to be evaluated, says Lou Landry, communications manager.
It may happen that users are moved to other units of our establishment, depending on their condition.
A quote from Lou Landry, communications manager at the CISSS de la Gaspésie
The organization assures that it is working hard so that the psychiatric unit can function at 100% in the short term.
