Alberta nurses union calls for weapons screening, more officers after hospital stabbing

The president of the United Nurses of Alberta says weapons screening systems and more protective services officers are urgently needed in Alberta hospitals, citing what she describes as near-daily threats of violence against frontline staff.

Heather Smith made the call following a stabbing last week in the emergency department at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital. According to hospital officials, a 42-year-old man was treated for life-threatening injuries after the incident.

In a statement after the attack, Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Matt Jones said the province is working to accelerate the installation of weapons screening at the facility and has already increased on-site security personnel.

Smith said those steps fall short of what is required. In a letter to the minister, she said the union has been advocating since 2023 for weapons detection systems at the Royal Alexandra and other high-volume emergency departments. She also called for guaranteed provincial funding to ensure protective services officers are present in all emergency departments.

Smith said violence in hospitals is linked to broader system pressures, including overcrowding and limited capacity, and described the situation as dangerous for both staff and patients.