A first-of-its-kind in-depth report on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among nurses will be released this week at the Manitoba Nurses Union's 40th annual general meeting.
Nearly 500 nurses from across the province will be gathering in Winnipeg today through Thursday for the event.
On Thursday, the union will release "Helping Manitoba's Wounded Healers: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Nursing Profession." The report will contain a range of recommendations, including a call for government to enact presumptive legislation formally recognizing the ongoing prevalence of PTSD among nurses.
"PTSD is under-reported and under-recognized in nurses," MNU president Sandi Mowat said in a release Monday. "Irrefutably, the repeated exposure nurses have to trauma and critical incidents has a lasting effect on their mental health."
In an earlier interview with the Sun, Mowat said she was hopeful the union's report will raise awareness and help push for legislative changes that would ensure nurses diagnosed with PTSD automatically receive workers compensation.
Research shows 30 to 40 per cent of nurses have PTSD. However, that number may be lower than the actual number given that nurses are not likely to self-identify and PTSD in women is often diagnosed as anxiety, depression or burnout.
Some of MNU's findings were revealed in the December 2014 edition of Manitoba Nurses Union Front Lines Magazine.
MNU's research shows that 62 per cent of nurses in Manitoba are currently experiencing compassion fatigue, while 71 per cent have experienced burnout at some point over the course of their career, and 53 per cent have experienced critical incident stress.
Violence or the threat of violence also plays a role in the development of PTSD in nurses. Studies show nurses are more likely to be attacked at work than prison guards or police officers. In Manitoba, 76 per cent of nurses have been verbally abused while 52 per cent have been physically assaulted.
MNU's annual meeting is being held at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.
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