Nurses are being discouraged from working at Manitoba’s largest hospital because of safety concerns 

August 11,2025

RED FM News Desk

The Manitoba Nurses Union has voted to place the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg on what they refer to as a “grey list.” This action has been taken by the union five times over the past 45 years, with the last grey listing being the Dauphin Regional Health Centre in 2007. 

The union states it has repeatedly requested the hospital to enhance security measures, but nurses’ safety there continues to be at risk. Last month, police arrested a man following a series of random sexual assaults in and around the hospital. 

The union has called for swipe card access to hospital tunnels, the formation of a security team to patrol these tunnels, and an alert system to notify staff of security concerns. Representing over 13,000 nurses province-wide, about 3,000 of them work at the Health Sciences Centre. 

Union president Darlene Jackson emphasized that the hospital has a responsibility to protect its staff. “The employer now has a clear opportunity to meet the reasonable conditions set by nurses,” Jackson said in a statement on Friday. “The decision to remove the grey listing is entirely up to them. Nurses will no longer tolerate empty promises or inaction that jeopardizes their safety.” 

Additionally, the union revealed on social media that they recently became aware of a bomb threat and a sexual assault at the hospital. 

Shared Health, the organization responsible for healthcare management in the province, said it takes the union’s vote seriously and recognizes the nurses’ desire for change. Dr. Chris Christodoulou, interim president and CEO of Shared Health, stated that the organization has met with government officials, police, the University of Manitoba, and union representatives to address security issues at the hospital. 

“This meeting acknowledges that multiple factors and groups must collaborate to improve safety for everyone on the Health Sciences Centre grounds,” Christodoulou said in a statement. “It is an important step toward bringing together partners, including justice experts, to enhance security and address gaps in our facilities.” 

The statement also highlighted security improvements already implemented, such as increased patrols, new cameras, and artificial intelligence-powered weapons scanners.