Today, the American Nurses Association (ANA) submitted a sign-on letter, with the support of numerous nursing affiliates and partner associations, to leaders of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) urging them to immediately release their proposed workplace prevention standard. April 1 marks the first day of Workplace Violence Prevention Awareness Month, and ANA continues to raise awareness and inspire action through its advocacy and policy work.
This letter to OSHA comes a year after the agency officially began its rulemaking process to address workplace violence in health care. As workplace violence continues to spike across the country, ANA is gathering voices from across the nursing profession and country to push OSHA to finish this critical work and implement a national standard that comprehensive workplace violence prevention programs in all settings of care. 59 constituent state nurse associations, organizational affiliates, and partner nursing organizations all joined in support of this letter to demand action.
“Workplace violence against health care professionals is wholly unacceptable, yet 1 in 4 nurses are assaulted at work. This never-ending battle to end the decades-long issue of workplace violence in health care, requires urgent support from all leaders in policy, congress and among health care employers as well as the enforcement of zero-tolerance policies in every practice setting,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA, FAAN.
ANA Capitol Hill Briefing
On March 22, ANA led a Capitol Hill briefing, along with the leaders of other professional organizations, to advocate for passage of federal legislation to mitigate the frequency and severity of workplace violence in health care. ANA leaders shared first-hand accounts and relevant data to illustrate the significance of two bills pending in Congress – The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act and the Senate’s Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees Act.
ANA’s Workplace Violence Committee
The National Workplace Violence Prevention Committee was created to put practice into action by developing evidence-based solutions which can be implemented within all organizations and health systems at the organizational level. The committee is comprised of a diverse group of experts who intend to move the needle to help health systems state-by-state to reduce their workplace violence rates. The first official convening of this committee was on November 2023 with regular meetings scheduled throughout the year.
“The time to act is now. We are trying to send the message that we will not sit back and allow nurses to suffer any longer from a preventable, but very serious issue. Numerous lives have been negatively impacted and even lost to workplace violence within the health care setting. ANA will continue to pull every lever and exhaust every resource to end this tragic cycle of violence,” said, ANA Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer Debbie Hatmaker, PhD, RN, FAAN.
You can read the complete sign-on letter that was delivered to OSHA here.
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About the American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation’s more than 5 million registered nurses. ANA advances the profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all.
