Manitoba Nurses Union worried about staffing, safety at Brandon's hospital

A knife in the emergency department. Manitoba Nurses Union President Darlene Jackson says that's what staff recently faced at Brandon Regional Health Centre. Their security are allowed to search bags, but they're not allowed to search the person. And clearly they don't have AI scanners out there. So, you know, this person got into the emergency department carrying a knife, which is very frightening for everyone. Prairie Mountain Health told CBC institutional safety officers were able to remove the weapon from the patient without incident. The Regional Health Authority is working to bring metal-detecting wands to Brandon's emergency room. But Jackson warns patient wait times and more staff are part of the safety conversation. Brandonite Michael Houston has been stuck waiting for help before. He spent more than 13 hours at the hospital when he had abdominal pain. They say the only way you get quick service is if you go in by ambulance. But, you know, if you don't need it, you don't need to go in by ambulance. But still, you shouldn't have to wait that long. Zayed Zunur Ali says staff took great care of him and his pregnant wife, working to keep them informed about what was happening around them. They actually told us, okay, we're taking care of that person, but you guys don't need to be afraid. He might shout, he might, you know. So they came and informed us about that, so that's really good. Meanwhile, Jackson says more safety improvements are needed. There is violence and nurses don't feel safe there. And in order to retain nurses and recruit nurses, We need to keep them safe at work, and that's the employer's responsibility. Manitoba's health minister told CBC they are always looking at safety improvements, including AI weapon scanners and more staff on site to reduce wait times. Chelsea Kemp, CBC News, Brandon.