The Registered Nurses Union says they’re facing big issues regarding the number of nurses getting hurt on the job.

President Yvette Coffey says over 400 LPNs, PCAs, and RNs filed reports to WorkplaceNL in 2022 and that has to change.

Coffey has been calling for action since 2019, and is proposing the formation of an independent health care safety council that would have a key focus on workplace violence.

For such a group to be effective, nurses need support from stakeholders such as law enforcement.

She says assault charges can be laid if someone were attacked in any other workplace, but nurses often don’t see any charges laid because they feel there is a lack of support from police.

“That’s not on for me and it’s not on for registered nurses or other health care workers,” says Coffey. “That’s the kind of thing we need addressed.”