Workplace Violence Legislation Reintroduced
Last week, on February 21, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) reintroduced the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1309). This goal of this legislation is to help reduce workplace violence that nurses and other healthcare providers face everyday.
It requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop standards requiring health care and social service employers to write and implement a workplace violence prevention plan to prevent and protect employees from violent incidents in the workplace. OSHA already produces a document containing voluntary guidelines for preventing workplace violence in health care settings. You can read the guidelines by clicking here.
ANA President Dr. Ernest Grant stated, “The American Nurses Association, representing the nation’s 4 million registered nurses, is indebted to the members of Congress who remain steadfast in championing this critical legislation. We believe in this bill because it underscores the urgency to address existing workplace cultures that discourage nurses from reporting for fear of retribution and to implement plans that prevent incidence of violence in the workplace. Safe work environments and quality care are not mutually exclusive, both must be considered in order to promote positive health outcomes for patients and communities. This bill is a step towards meaningful progress to prevent incidents of violence in all health care settings and we thank Rep. Courtney for introducing this legislation.”
Congressional Hearing on the Measles Outbreak
Yesterday, February 27, 2019, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce held a hearing on the current measles outbreaks affecting certain communities in the United States. ANA sent a letter to the Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member regarding our position on vaccines. You can read it here: E and C Measles Letter 2019.02.28 FINAL