The president of the United Nurses of Alberta is calling for immediate action on weapons screening at urban hospitals following a violent stabbing at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital that left a man with life-threatening injuries.
Heather Smith says her members face "threats of violence almost daily" and accused the provincial government of moving too slowly on security measures that are already standard in other Canadian provinces.
The stabbing occurred on April 3 in the Royal Alexandra Hospital's emergency department when two men began fighting around 6:15 p.m. Edmonton police patrol officers who were already at the hospital intervened and discovered one of the men was carrying three edged weapons.
A 42-year-old man sustained life-threatening injuries in the attack and required immediate treatment. The suspect now faces charges including assault with a weapon and two counts of failing to comply with probation.
Province accused of downplaying violence
In a letter to Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Matt Jones, Smith accused the minister of underplaying the seriousness of threats facing healthcare workers in Alberta emergency departments.
"Frustrated, frightened patients and their families having to wait hours in packed emergency departments will inevitably lead to tense situations and outbreaks of violence. The best way to eliminate the problem is to build the capacity that Alberta requires," Smith wrote Thursday.
She pointed out that the United Nurses of Alberta has been advocating since 2023 for weapons detection systems at the Royal Alexandra and other Alberta hospitals with busy emergency departments.
Following the attack, Minister Jones said the government is working to speed up implementation of weapons screening at the hospital and that the facility has increased its security personnel. Four Alberta Health Services protective services officers were assigned to the emergency department at the time of the incident.
Other provinces already using screening technology
Smith noted that hospitals in other provinces have already implemented weapons detection systems while Alberta continues to lag behind.
Manitoba announced last year it was providing $2.3 million to fund two police officers at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre around the clock and install five new weapon-detection scanners at the hospital's main public entrances. The move came after nurses declared the hospital too dangerous to work in — a rare step known as "grey listing."
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's government announced a review of hospital security in January while installing metal detectors in some emergency rooms. Nova Scotia Health introduced an AI weapons detection screening system at Cape Breton Regional Hospital's emergency room in February as part of a provincewide hospital safety initiative.
Calls for guaranteed funding
Beyond weapons screening, Smith is calling on the province to guarantee funding for protective services officers at all Alberta emergency departments.
She characterized the current situation as "dangerous" and linked the violence in emergency departments to overcrowding and lack of capacity in the healthcare system.
No hospital visitors, patients or staff were injured during the April 3 incident at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, according to Edmonton police.
This article is based on reporting by Chad Twair for CBC Edmonton.