Patient Safety | 01.13.20
'Epidemic': 75% of Workplace Assaults Happen to Healthcare Workers
by NAMSS Staff
ABC News (12/21/19) Lantry, Lauren
According to statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 75% of all workplace assaults happen to healthcare workers. But there is currently no federal law requiring prevention, reporting, or reaction if a healthcare worker is assaulted on the job. Michigan State University professor Judy Arnetz, an expert in workplace violence in the health care sector, notes that hospital workers typically underreport assaults, so the true statistics surrounding healthcare assaults may be unknown. But the growing awareness around workplace violence in healthcare has inspired some legislators to take action. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) last year introduced a bill that would require OSHA to issue a nationwide standard for establishing and implementing workplace violence prevention plans for healthcare professionals. That bill passed the House of Representatives last month with bipartisan support. Nurses have applauded the legislation, but the American Hospital Association (AHA) has publicly opposed it, claiming that hospitals already devote sufficient resources to workplace violence.
Read the full story from ABC News.