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It’s a sad and often disturbing reality for healthcare professionals, a part of the job that no one should accept or consider routine. Violence in the workplace, whether intentional or incidental, should not be par for the course, but it is. And, until such time that there are stronger deterrents, nurses and others must be prepared.
NSNU’s Occupational Health and Safety Advisor, Heather Matthews champions and participates in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) training resulting from the Safety and Innovation Fund negotiated during the last round of bargaining. One such session took place at the NSNU in mid-March with OH&S staff from the IWK. NVCI is a training program developed to help professionals safely manage challenging behaviors. It focuses on de-escalation, prevention, and intervention strategies commonly used by staff in healthcare, education, policing and other services.
The goal is to empower staff to intervene safely and non-harmfully when managing disruptive or aggressive behavior, focusing on verbal and nonverbal techniques to calm individuals and prevent escalation. The practice prioritizes the care, welfare, and security of both staff and individuals in distress.
When necessary, safe, non-restrictive or restrictive physical interventions must be utilized. This IWK group learned practical self-defense tactics and the use of specialized therapeutic bean bag chairs - single-seat safety pods that are effective in calming the nervous system and decreasing anxiety. They are designed to provide a "cocooning" effect that helps regulate emotions and nervous system stress. The pods are being used throughout the province to safely provide care and treatment for patients.
NSNU president, Janet Hazelton took part in a portion of the sessions, volunteering to be restrained in one of the pods. A fitness buff with remarkable core strength, Janet struggled to resist and then “escape” the pod’s comfortable confinement. The pod molds to the body, reducing the urge for physical aggression.
To learn more about innovative and effective OH&S strategies or to speak with Heather Matthews, email safety [at] nsnu.ca.
