Sept. 22 was Nurses’ Day of Action – designated by the American Nurses Association to focus on nurse safety at work and violence prevention. Did you participate?
If you’re not a healthcare worker, you might be surprised to hear that 1 in 4 nurses report being assaulted on the job, according to the ANA. Less than 60% of incidents are reported. Nurses’ Day of Action was created to implement Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace safety standards and protections for reporting abuse.
Which brings us to this bill: the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 2531 / S. 1232). This bill is designed to create a federal standard forcing healthcare employers to protect nurse safety and take proactive steps against workplace violence. If passed, OSHA would require specific, enforceable workplace protections such as:
Facility-Specific Prevention Plans
Instead of relying on a “one-size-fits-all” security protocol, facilities would need to develop unit-specific and facility-specific prevention plans that actively involve frontline nurses and employees in the development, implementation, and review processes.
Engineering and Environmental Controls
Physical workplace hazards would need to be fixed. This would cover security cameras, panic buttons, and alarm systems, as well as layout changes to nurse stations and patient access points. Also scrutinized: staffing levels and security personnel training.
Tracking Mandates for Nurse Safety
Because underreporting is so pervasive, the bill also establishes transparent tracking mandates. Incident logs tracking all acts or threats of physical violence, including weapon-related incidents, would need to go back at least 5 years; every incident of workplace violence would require an investigation to figure out what systemic safety failures allowed it to happen.
Training Requirements and Whistleblower Protections
Finally, robust annual training would be a requirement. It would have to cover de-escalation techniques, hazard recognition, emergency response protocols, and instructions on how to report incidents. Nurses and whistleblowers who report incidents, call 911, or voice concerns will be protected from demotion, termination, or disciplinary measures.
Advocating for Nurse Safety
On Sept. 22, nurses reached out to legislators and healthcare leaders, sharing stories of how workplace violence has impacted their units and their patients. If that inspires you to advocate for better workplace safety, here are a few ways to get active:
- Use digital advocacy portals like the ANA Action Center or the National Nurses United (NNU) Legislation Page to send pre-drafted or personalized emails and letters directly to your Senators and Representatives – urging them to cosponsor the bill.
- Share your story. Write a personalized note detailing your experiences with workplace violence when submitting letters to Congress.
- Get active with the American Nurses Association (ANA), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). They routinely host congressional briefings, letter-writing campaigns, and town halls that nurses can attend or amplify.
- Join or create a safety task force at your facility. Look at the standards proposed in the federal bill – and apply them to your unit-specific hazard assessments and layout adjustments.
When nurses are not safe at work, every healthcare system suffers. Consider adding your voice to the rising call for nurse safety – and share your stories if you have them.