The husband of a nurse who was stabbed 11 times by a patient June 14 at Harrington Hospital in Southbridge, Mass., lobbied for state legislation to address hospital workplace violence in hospitals on Wednesday, according to the Telegram & Gazette.
Clifton Wilson spoke on behalf of "Elise's Law" — named for his wife — before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security at the Statehouse in Boston. The legislation, which was proposed by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, would require healthcare employers in the state to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence.
Conor O'Regan, 24, was arrested for the stabbing. Mr. O'Regan allegedly attacked Elise Wilson because he was unhappy with the care received at Harrington Hospital three weeks prior.
"He went past a couple of security guards, where he was possibly outmatched, found my wife and stabbed her in the neck, punched her, and then repeatedly stabbed her in the face and upper left arm," said Mr. Wilson, according to the Telegram & Gazette. "So if you people will see your way to spearheading this legislation, I will be very, very grateful. Because every nurse, every healthcare professional, every person in the commonwealth of Massachusetts needs to be able to go to a hospital, whether it be their workplace or a place of sanctuary."
After the stabbing, Elise Wilson, RN, was treated immediately in the Harrington emergency department and flown to Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Medical Center once stabilized.
Members of the MNA and Ms. Wilson's colleagues at Harrington joined Mr. Wilson at the Statehouse.
Tracy DiGregorio, RN, a nurse at Harrington Hospital, read a statement to the committee on Mrs. Wilson's behalf, according to the Telegram & Gazette. In the statement, Mrs. Wilson described the incident and added that many other healthcare workers in the industry are threatened and assaulted.
"It is time for this to stop," Mrs. Wilson said in the statement.
The committee voted in favor of the measure.
Editor's note: This article was updated July 21.
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