8 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y | M A R C H 2 0 1 9
NEWS BRIEFS
NATIONAL
N
ational nurses United
applauded the introduction by
Rep. Joe Courtney on Feb. 21 of
H.R. 1309, the Workplace
Violence Prevention for Health Care and
Social Service Workers Act, federal legisla-
tion designed to curb the national epidemic
of violence against health care workers.
The bill, which enjoys bipartisan
Congressional support, would mandate that
the federal Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) create a national
standard requiring health care and social
service employers to develop and implement
a comprehensive workplace violence
prevention plan. This legislation is especial-
ly important given that healthcare and
social service workers face extremely high
rates of workplace violence.
"As nurses who work at the bedside, our
union has seen violence reach epidemic
proportions in our hospitals and clinics,"
said NNU President Jean Ross, RN.
"Employers' failure to prevent violence not
only harms nurses and other healthcare
workers, but it harms our patients too."
"This legislation is the result of a five-
year process to build the foundation for
long-overdue change to protect America's
caring professions and is poised to move,"
said Courtney. "The standard set would
give workers the security that their
employers are implementing proven
practices to reduce the risk of violence
on the job."
The bill was heard on Feb. 27 before the
House Committee on Education and Labor.
"We urge representatives to support this urgent
legislation before one more worker, patient,
family member, or visitor becomes a victim of
health care workplace violence," said Ross.
The legislation follows the adoption by
California OSHA of a groundbreaking health
care workplace violence standard that was
the result of state legislation sponsored by
Reintroduced federal workplace
violence prevention legislation will
save RN, patient lives
