Patient assaults nurse at Langley hospital with knife

A nurse at Langley Memorial Hospital was attacked by a patient who had a knife, according to a union official. The police reported that a man, 37 years old, was arrested at the hospital after the incident. He has since been released, awaiting a court date. The assault happened shortly after midnight on March 8. The nurse was attending to a patient when an altercation occurred between that patient and another. The nurse attempted to take the knife away and was injured during the struggle, but she was not stabbed. Langley RCMP expressed deep concern about the incident. They noted the risks hospital staff face while trying to provide care. The president of the BC Nurses’ Union, Adriane Gear, highlighted that assaults against nurses are alarmingly common, with an estimated 46 serious assaults reported each month. Gear called for better communication about violent patients and more measures to keep weapons out of healthcare settings. Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to come forward.