Nurses at Seattle Children’s psychiatric unit gather to voice concerns over increased violence

SEATTLE — On Tuesday night, dozens of nurses at Seattle Children's Psychiatric and Behavioral Medicine Unit held a candlelight vigil to address violence at the unit.

Nurses say they don't have enough resources to deal with a growing pediatric mental health crisis and they're fearing for their lives.

Last month, the Washington State Nurses Association sent a letter to the facility urgently requesting more help. WSNA says police have been called over violent incidents and that children are staying there for months because there's nowhere for them to go. The unit was designed to only care for patients in a short-term capacity of three to seven days.