Poll: Patient Safety and Working Conditions

A new national survey from Vector Poll, released by the CFNU in conjunction with the discussion paper, Enough Is Enough: Putting a Stop to Violence in the Health Care Sector, shows that the majority believe patient safety is declining, or not improving, and workplace violence in health care is a serious and growing problem. Many of those surveyed have considered a job or career change, according to survey results.

The results of this survey of over 2,000 nurses reveal that during the past 12 months:

• The majority of nurses responding (61%) say they have experienced serious problems in the workplace, related to violence, including physical assault, bullying, verbal abuse and racial/sexual harassment. By contrast, a January 2016 national poll conducted by Vector Poll found that just 15% of employees in other sectors experienced serious problems with physical assaults, verbal threats, bullying or other kinds of abuse over a two-year period.
• A full two thirds of nurses (66%) pondered leaving their job to work for a different employer or in a different occupation. Ontario nurses are the most likely to have considered a career or job change (70%). Nurses aged 25 to 34 years are the most likely to have contemplated a job change.

The discussion paper, Enough Is Enough, raises the alarm and highlights the need for urgent action to increase nurse staffing levels and implement an action plan to keep nurses safe on the job.