Massachusetts nurses will testify at a State House hearing July 18 to advocate for legislation addressing workplace violence.
The proposed legislation would require healthcare employers to assess their organizations' safety risks every year and to implement programs to minimize workplace violence based on the findings. The bill would also give healthcare workers time off to address legal issues if they are assaulted on the job, and nurses would be allowed to use their work address to handle legal issues, among other benefits.
The rate of violence in healthcare workplaces is five times higher than that of private industry. Nurses in particular are assaulted on the job more than police officers and prison guards. The CDC also found that workplace violence "nearly doubled for nurses and nurse assistants" from 2012 to 2014.