Navigating the hazard of rising violence in health care facilities
While not widely spoken about, the health care industry has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous professions due to the recognized hazard of workplace violence many medical providers face while performing their duties. Due to a looming rise in violence against health care workers, causing severe injuries, many health care employees are demanding federal protections to be put in place as a response.
Prior to the onset of the current pandemic, health care workers suffered more workplace injuries as a result of violence than any other profession, with approximately 654,000 harmed annually, according to studies reported by the American Hospital Association (“AHA”). Since the onset of the pandemic, however, violence against hospital employees alone has markedly increased. For example, the AHA studies indicate that 44% of nurses reported an increase in physical violence, and 68% reported an increase of verbal abuse.
When violence erupts in a health