Police detail violent attack on Manitoba nurse that led to assault charges

A 26-year-old man is facing charges after he allegedly attacked a nurse at the Brandon hospital.

A recent attack on a nurse at a Manitoba hospital has renewed calls to improve safety for the province’s health-care workers.

According to Brandon police, officers were called to Brandon Regional Health Centre shortly after 2 a.m. Monday after receiving multiple reports about the assault.

When they arrived, security had already detained a 26-year-old man who allegedly approached a nurse, spit in her face, grabbed her around the neck in a chokehold and tried to stab her with a needle. She was able to get away and was not physically injured, police said.

The man was arrested on several assault charges and was held in custody.

“The nurse is suffering at this point and is going to carry this assault with her for a very long time,” said Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson.

Jackson said violence impacting nurses is increasing across the province and not just at major centres. Incidents have also been reported in recent months in Dauphin, The Pas and Thompson, she noted.

To help address the issue, Jackson is calling for an increase in institutional safety officers (ISOs) - staff who are trained to preserve safety and protect assigned facilities.

“They’re allowed to be hands-on, can actually restrain and detain, while many of the other security guards don’t have any policing abilities,” she said.

According to the Manitoba government, 95 of these officers have been hired in the past year.

They’re trained in de-escalation tactics that promote a peaceful environment, the spokesperson said.

“We’re working with communities across the province to assess which facilities would benefit from ISOs and we’ll continue to bring more supports to our health care system.”