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A nurse was brutally attacked by a patient at Abbotsford Regional Hospital on Tuesday morning, leaving her with a broken jaw and head injuries, according to the B.C. Nurses’ Union.

The union said a violent patient ambushed the nurse with an exercise weight and smashed her head against a wall while she was on shift at the hospital early Tuesday. The attack left the nurse with a broken jaw, fractured cheekbone and damaged teeth, as well as face and head injuries, according to the union.

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Kath Kitts, a spokeswoman for the union, said the nurse is unable to talk because her jaw is wired shut; she is scheduled to go into surgery Wednesday. The nurse also had to have six staples in her head and will require extensive dental work as her teeth were pushed up into her head during the attack.

Both WorkSafeBC and police are investigating.

BCNU president Christine Sorensen said in a statement Wednesday she was “deeply troubled” by the violent attack. She called on the B.C. government to provide more funding so that health authorities can take more security measures to protect hospital staff.