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By Sam Bennison

Hospital security

Nine new relational security officers coming to UHNBC

Nov 17, 2023 | 4:25 PM

PRINCE GEORGE—Victoria has announced today that they are fulfilling their commitment to recruit 320 new relational security officers throughout B.C. as part of a new security model announced in 2022. Nine of them will be recruited to the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing toxic-drug crisis have exacerbated challenges in the health-care system, and compromised the safety of the workplace for some health-care employees and quality care of patients,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

In October of last year the Province provided health authorities funding to establish a relational security model in 26 health-care settings and hire staff to support it. The new model ensures all security personnel know how to anticipate, de-escalate and prevent aggression, based on trauma-informed practices, which integrate knowledge of how people are affected by trauma into the service.

“As Minister of Labour, workplace safety is a top priority. We owe it to health-care workers who are dedicated to taking care of sick and injured people to provide them with safe work environments,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “Today’s announcement will help ensure people working in health-care facilities are protected from violence.”

All protection-services personnel receive workplace violence prevention and mental health training. They also receive trauma-informed practice, which integrates knowledge of how people are affected by trauma into procedures, practices and services to create a safer environment for staff and patients.

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Indigenous cultural safety and anti-indigenous racism are key components of the training. The Province has consulted with the Provincial Health Service Authority’s Indigenous Health, union,the First Nations Health Authority and Fraser Health.