Nurses Union President Yvette Coffey says mental health issues and rising frustration with the health care system are leading to a dramatic increase in nurses experiencing violence in the workplace.

Coffey says people are stressed—not just patients, but family members worried about their loved ones.

Frontline workers are facing the brunt says Coffey, with 70 per cent of the RNU’s members in March experiencing violence in the workplace—either physical or verbal. She says many are heading to work wondering “Is this the day I get punched?”