Workplace Violence Bill filed in Congress with ANA Support

The incidence of violence against health care providers in the workplace has been a long standing problem. The Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) has estimated that violence against healthcare providers is 12 times greater than the general workforce. Data has Further demonstrated that physical assault, and other violence, against nurses goes dramatically underreported. Nurses and health care providers have reported that employers, law enforcement and other institutions actively discourage reporting violence in the healthcare setting when the aggressor is patients, or the patient’s family.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has contributed to the problem by increasing stressors for patients and family members. Anger and frustration can translate into physical, or emotional, violence against nurses.

In response to this crisis Representative Joe Courtney (D- Conn 2nd district) has introduced “H.R. 1195: To direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires covered employers within the health care and social service industries to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan, and for other purposes.”. This legislation would require employers to develop, and implement, plans to protect healthcare employees from workplace violence.

Currently the Bill has over 50 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives.

The American Nurses Association encourages nurses to contact their elected officials in Washington DC and ask them to support this legislation.

Get information about the Bill: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr1195

https://anacapitolbeat.org/2021/03/08/workplace-violence-bill-introduced-with-ana-endorsement/