Violence against health care workers is on the rise, making it more difficult for them to provide quality, uninterrupted care to you.
Despite being among the most cherished and trusted occupations in America, nurses and health care workers are highly vulnerable to workplace violence. The most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics repost reveals that 76% of all workplace violence injuries were inflicted on health care workers. What’s more, one in four nurses reported being physically assaulted according to a 2019 survey conducted by the American Nurses Association.
Assault and verbal abuse can lead to negative impacts on the nursing profession. When they experience intimidation through rude remarks or harassment, nurses are more likely to face burnout and workplace anxiety.
Health care workers need our protection against violence at all levels. Andrew Thum, Director of Nursing Workforce Operations at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, recently wrote, “The consequences for perpetrators of violence in healthcare are negligible: security intervention and scolding by an administrator.”
Progress Toward More Protection
The rise in health care workplace aggression prompted The Joint Commission, an agency that accredits health care facilities, to publish new standards for violence prevention at Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals in 2022.
Pennsylvania has made strides to protect its health care workers in recent years. A 2020 law signed by then-Governor Tom Wolf makes physical assault against a health care worker a felony instead of a misdemeanor.
Now, the state is forging ahead with the Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act. The bill makes it a federal crime to assault or intimidate hospital employees, and it provides $25 million in grant funding to reduce violence and intimidation in hospitals. Read more on the SAVE Act in our recent blog post.
Healthy Me PA continues to lead conversations on health care workplace violence so that its professionals can focus on what matters–giving you the best care possible.