Workplace Violence Prevention

Senator Tammy Baldwin at podium outside Capitol Building

Members of Congress introduce bill to prevent violence in health care, social service workplaces

The bill would mandate that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration create a federal standard requiring health care and social service employers to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans.

Sign "Workplace Violence Puts Everyone at Risk"

Take NNU's Workplace Violence Survey

We want to hear your story. Your voice has a critical and powerful impact on our collective work. Take the workplace violence survey and share your experiences.

Group of nurses at podium

Workplace Violence and Covid-19 in Health Care: How the Hospital Industry Created an Occupational Syndemic

This report details stark evidence of how the dual failures of health care employers to protect nurses and patients from Covid-19 and workplace violence synergistically interact to amplify the harms caused by each individually.

Resources

Nurses outside capitol building hold signs calling for safe workplaces

What is workplace violence?

Workplace violence is an occupational hazard that occurs frequently in health care workplaces. It can be any act of violence or threat of violence that occurs within the worksite or while an employee is doing their job.

Nurses outside capitol building with raised fists

Injury to None

This brief is a comprehensive overview of what workplace violence is, including summaries of the leading research to date on its prevalence, impacts, and prevention, and details how we are working to stop it.

Workplace violence prevention tips

Here’s advice from five Northern California Kaiser nurses who have been working on mitigating and preventing workplace violence at their facilities.

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Learn more about S. 1176/H.R. 2663 by reading our fact sheet.

California regulations are a model for the nation

In California, employers are required by law to have comprehensive, unit-specific workplace violence prevention plans in place.

Sign on: Prevent workplace violence against health care workers

We need you to use your voice in solidarity with nurses. Sign on to tell the Senate that they must pass legislation to prevent workplace violence.

Press releases

The bill would mandate that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration create a federal standard requiring health care and social service employers to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans.
Registered nurses at Mission Hospital, in Asheville, N.C., will hold a rally to highlight their patient safety concerns, including increased incidents of workplace violence, broken hospital equipment, and unsafe staffing levels.
The tragic loss of two health care workers, including one nurse, in Dallas, Texas, who were killed on Saturday at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, demonstrates the importance of passing the pending workplace violence prevention legislation in the U.S. Senate.
RNs at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (ABSMC) in Oakland and Berkeley will hold a five-day strike from Oct. 24 through Oct. 28 in response to persistent patient care issues, including workplace violence and high turnover rates.