New legislation would mandate healthcare workplace violence prevention plans

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, D-California, recently introduced new legislation dubbed the Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act, which aims to reduce the risk of workplace violence in healthcare facilities utilizing comprehensive employer-mandated workplace violence plans.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 38 percent of healthcare professional world-over have suffered some type of physical violence. The American Nurses Association suggests one in four nurses have been assaulted at work and the likelihood of healthcare workers being exposed to violence is higher than prison guards or police officers.

The bill tails the “trailblazing” legislation introduced by Cal/OSHA (the Division of Occupational Safety and Health) enacted in California in 2014 and implemented in 2017. By April 1, 2018, all healthcare facilities in California will have issued their workplace violence plans.

“Health care workers, doctors, and nurses are continuously at risk of workplace violence incidents – strangling, punching, kicking and other physical attacks – that can cause severe injury or death,” Khanna said in a statement. “This is simply unacceptable. The Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act puts a comprehensive plan in place and is a national solution to this widespread problem modeled after the success seen in California.”

The bill requires workplaces to implement violence prevention plans and places emphasis on input from healthcare professionals (i.e. physicians, nurses). Additionally, the bill would mandate prevention of violence, hazard identification and correction, worker training and participation, logging incidents and incident investigations.

Khanna received support from National Nurses United, the largest organization of registered nurses in the country.

“National Nurses United applauds Congressman Khanna for his important leadership in introducing the Heath Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act,” said Bonnie Castillo, RN, Executive Director of National Nurses United. “If passed, this legislation would have a dramatic impact on the lives of nurses, healthcare workers, and patients across the country.”

“Nurses and other healthcare workers regularly suffer violent incidents while caring for patients at the bedside,” Castillo continued. “We know that the frequency and severity of these violent attacks can be drastically reduced through workplace violence prevention plans that are specific to the needs of each facility and are created with input from nurses and other workers. We urge every Member of Congress to support this bill."