Acadieville man accused of attacking nurse is charged with 2nd assault

A second charge of assault was laid Tuesday against 69-year-old Randy Van Horlick, who was already charged with assault after an alleged attack on a registered nurse at the Dr.-Georges-L.-Dumont Hospital in Moncton.

Codiac RCMP arrested Van Horlick in connection with the second alleged assault, against Teresa Thibault, on July 23. Thibault is an licensed practical nurse with Vitalité Health Network. 

Georges Dumont Hospital nurse Natasha Poirier told the CBC in an earlier interview that she feared for her life March 11, when Van Horlick allegedly pulled her hair, grabbed her wrist and shook her arm, bent her fingers back and hit her head, causing her to lose consciousness. 

In the interview June 12, Poirier said a female licensed practical nurse was hurt trying to stop the alleged assault. 

Van Horlick, of Acadieville, about 100 kilometres north of Moncton, is not in custody and did not comment when he left Moncton provincial court Tuesday.

Van Horlick has not yet entered pleas, and neither charge has been tested in court. 

Natasha Poirier was in court Tuesday but said she was unable to comment because her symptoms are aggravated by stress. 

"She's having to go through the process all over again," said her brother, Sébastien Poirier, "And when she comes to court it just brings up a lot of memories."

Poirier said he hopes this case can raise awareness surrounding violence in hospitals.

"They aren't armed, they don't have any defences. Instead what they're trying to do is care for patients."

Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, was also in court when the second assault charge was laid.

"It just highlights the need to make our facilities safer in this province," she said.

Documents released by the union show there were more than 2,000 code whites at New Brunswick hospitals last year, almost double the number five years ago. Code whites are triggered when a health-care worker is under attack and all available security is called to that unit. 

Changes coming

Johanne Roy, vice-president of Clinical Services at Vitalité Health Network, said small portable personal alarms are being made available.

"If staff ask for this button, they can wear it," she said. "They just press this button and it's very loud."

She also said the network is working on a policy of noting potentially violent people in the hospital.

"We're working to try to flag or identify patients or relatives or any member of the community." 

These notes will be included on a patient's medical chart so all staff will know to take precautions.

Roy said the health network is talking to the nurses union about implementation and expects to have written policies in September.

Norma Melanson, Natasha Poirier's mother, said nurses have suffered from violent patients for too long. 

"We have to come forward and talk about these matters if we want to have social changes in regards to violence and abuse."