(Caution: graphic language and sexual references)

A letter has been sent to media, to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, copied to the Premier and Minister of Health, and it’s signed by over 200 frontline staff at St. Paul’s Hospital.

The letter states that the incident in November involving a shotgun, ammunition, knives and threats of violence to a staff member is the tip of the iceberg.  The nearly four dozen violent incidents outlined in the letter took place over three days in December.

The letter from Health care workers and Allies at St. Paul’s hospital states “fatal violence against our team is not just possible, it’s probable. St. Paul’s Emergency has been seeing exponentially escalating violence with instances occurring multiple times per day.”  The group has requested an immediate response and safety plan from Saskatchewan Health Authority Executive Leadership and the Government of Saskatchewan.

The organizers who drafted the letter say the description of incidents have been edited for brevity and privacy only and are otherwise unaltered:

“I was cornered by an aggressive patient at my triage desk without an escape route. The patient charged at me. Fortunately, security had noticed, were close, and were able to tackle them before I was physically attacked. This patient punched a security guard in the face as I called 911.”

“I got a bad feeling from a person standing close to the triage door while I was with another patient. I closed the triage door which caused them to start pounding on the glass, running and ramming the door with their shoulder. Security approached the person and the person pulled out a knife! This patient was dropped off at the emergency doors by Saskatoon police just before this. They did not walk him in, just dropped him on the ramp!”

“A lady pulled knitting needles out and was threatening to stab us,”

“A person presented to triage with severe lacerations to their hand and was displaying bizarre behaviour that concerned me. We had another patient present in the area who had presented after being attacked by a machete and after seeing this first patient- went
to security to report that the person with the lacerated hand was the one that had attacked them. Security confronted them and removed a huge machete that was tucked in their pants.”

“A patient in trauma got angry and flipped over a stretcher and was trying to break down the doors to triage. They left, threatening and swearing at us.”

“I interrupted my patient and visitor having sex in the patient’s room. The woman became angry, charged at me, swearing and swung a stiletto at me, barely missing my face.”

“We were threatened at triage, told they would find the nurses house so he could “cut that bitch up into little pieces” and numerous times threatened to murder staff.”

“The patient started running and throwing body into the door, banging head on the door and then he whipped a pop can at the window as hard as he could. Uttering threats the entire time.”

“Multiple times I have had patients ask me to have sex with them, had patients masturbating while telling me to “hop in” or just stand there while they finish. Have had to call security on patients to restrain them to make them stop.”

“Daily we face violence of all kinds, sexual harassment, racism (get called a white cunt on almost a daily basis), verbal and physical abuse. I have worried for the last 12-14 years that one of my coworkers or myself will get seriously injured or murdered.”

“We called security for a patient smoking in the waiting room who would not stop when we asked. He pulled a knife out and proceeded to stab one of the security guards multiple times in the torso (fortunately he was wearing a protection vest). It took multiple security officers to subdue him.”

“Witnessed two people get into a physical fight outside the entrance doors. One pulled a knife and the other pulled a gun.”

“A person brought a grenade into the waiting room. Thank God security wasn’t short staffed and tackled the person.”

“When I walked in my patient’s room, she threw her coffee on me.”

“I was kicked in the chest by a patient and had to leave the shoe imprint on my black shirt so police could come and take photographs. Then when asked if he could be banned or what could be done, I was told I needed to still care for him and he was allowed to enter the building at any time as long as he said he was seeking medical attention. Police also tried to discourage me pressing charges by saying if he chooses to plead not guilty you might have to go to court and that’s not very fun.”

“Just yesterday I called a code white as a guy was trying to punch and kick two security guards, another came and banged on the glass at triage and then flipped the birds unprovoked, and then another guy was screaming while trying to take his vitals and when we asked security to escort him out and turned around to me and made “eyes” at
me and did a kissy face provocatively (not sure how to describe that). So like the amount of shit that happens all the time is wild!”

“The serrated bread knife that was pulled out in front of my pregnant coworker, stating “here, I don’t need it anymore”, after being in our department for 6 hours.”

“A guy walked up to the glass at triage and pointed what appeared to be a gun (it was a 3D printed weapon of sorts). These mental traumas affect people!!”

“So many over the years. But I guess most recently when a high visitor went after me, I was able to wrestle her to the ground but was certainly concerned that maybe she had a weapon. This was all witnessed by a housekeeper, other nurses and patients and their visitors.”

“Patient spit their blood into my face and it got in my mouth”

“Security guard was talking to a person who would not register for care. It escalated and the security guard was punched in the face”

“Aggressive patient, trying to let themselves through locked doors into the Emergency. Yelling that staff are racist white cunts”

“Patient verbally aggressive and yelling sexual threats at staff ‘hey bitch I want to fuck you’; ‘I’ll fuck you all’ “

“Three separate people assaulted security guards on the same shift. Punched and kicked. All three had to be taken away by police.”

“A family member (of a patient) was aggressive and threatening me. Aggressively shaking his finger in my face. Security had to physically remove him.”

“I witnessed a patient purposely spit into a physician’s face while they were trying to provide care.”

“A patient attempted to choke me with stethoscope, continued to punch and kick me”

“A patient who had threatened to kill me on another day walked in. I was alone at triage and he proceeded to walk up to the chair, glare at me silently, pull out a huge machete and place it on the floor between us while looking at me like he wanted me dead. Thankfully security walked over right then”.

“A patient was aggressive and threatening in our waiting room, running all over, banging on windows and jumping over chairs. Other people in the waiting room had to run for safety into our triage bubble and were very frightening. Police were already in our department for a different reason and responded. They used their taser on this patient. Many witnesses to this thought the police actually shot him. It was traumatic for a lot of people.”

“A patient screamed at me at triage “fuck you! I need to be seen faster!!” Continued to repeatedly swear at us.”

“You are the person that raped and killed my granddaughter- all of your kind’ This was screamed at my coworker who is a person of color.”

“Patient screamed at me “ fuck you, go back to your own country”

“A patient was brought in fighting and the paramedic got punched in the face. He was spitting on the staff while we were trying to restrain him.”

“My coworker and I were bear sprayed walking to our car”.

Threatened by patient “I will fucking kill you”

“I pray to God that your family all dies and everyone else here.” was screamed at me today”

“A patient yelling and screaming at triage, threatening to “piss all over the floor” if not attended to immediately.”

“Stated to my coworker of color “your kind kidnap people, you’re a fucker” “shut the fuck up man” while my coworker was attempting to provide care.”
“I was attempting to give medication, the patient grabbed my wrist and squeezed really hard and would not let go- he got really aggressive with me, calling me evil. Security had to get him off me”

“I had a bedside table thrown at me.”

“I still have an assault charge against one of our patients that kicked me in my head and told me she was going to “fucking kill me” and that she knows people and will have them kill me. She is gang affiliated and the assault charge will expire next August if they don’t catch her. Nothing was ever done and no follow up by SHA leadership with it.”

“While I was working with a nursing student, we were caring for a patient who was extremely agitated. The patient suddenly bit my colleague. The bite broke the skin and caused bleeding. The incident happened so quickly and without warning. I felt sick knowing the student was exposed to such violence so early in her career and deeply upset for my colleague.”

“I walked into a patient’s room and as soon as I entered the curtain, they punched me right in the face”

“Patient was discharged and sitting in the waiting room. Refused to leave. Security stepped in and the patient threw a chair at the TV and shattered it. Police were called. Security detained the patient for 30 minutes until police arrived. “

“As I was removing a patient’s IV, I noticed he was holding a knife tightly in the hand opposite the one I was working on. The patient had shown no signs of escalating behavior prior to this moment.”

“On one of my first shifts in the department, an ambulance brought in a patient. When I went to assess him, I discovered he had a sawed-off shotgun strapped to his leg.”

“There was a person lying on the floor in the waiting room. When I approached them they kicked me twice which left bruises on my legs. When I was walking away the person ran behind me and tried to punch me in the back of the head. Security stopped them. ”