Following the passage earlier this year of two crucial new laws to address and prevent workplace violence in health care settings, hospitals and nurses in Texas have partnered to launch a new workplace violence prevention toolkit to guide hospitals in implementing those laws.
The toolkit, released today by the Texas Hospital Association and the Texas Nurses Association, puts legal analysis, technical information and sample signage in the hands of hospitals to ensure they are doing everything possible to protect their employees. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, violence against health care workers has been on the rise, with 68% of nurses reporting that they experienced verbal abuse during the pandemic. Some 98% of Texas hospitals reported that workplace violence has increased or stayed constant in the last three years.
Workplace Violence Prevention Toolkit
THA and TNA worked closely during the 2023 session of the Texas Legislature to stress to lawmakers how important it was to keep health care workers safe. Lawmakers ultimately signed off on a pair of needed new measures:
- Senate Bill 240 by Sen. Donna Campbell, MD (R-New Braunfels), requiring hospitals and others to establish and implement a workplace violence prevention committee, plan and policy by Sep. 1, 2024.
- Senate Bill 840 by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), making it a third-degree felony to assault hospital personnel anywhere on hospital property.
The toolkit offers detailed information about the new laws and how Texas hospitals can ensure compliance, including additional information about accreditation, overtime and essential elements of required hospital nurse staffing plans. The toolkit also includes details on existing state and federal laws, sample policies, sample signage in English and Spanish and background on the growing issue of violence in health care settings.
Leaders from THA and TNA stressed the importance of the new laws and the value of the toolkit in moving toward safer health care facilities.
“Hospitals must be places of refuge and healing, and employees must have a safe work environment and respectful treatment,” THA President/CEO John Hawkins said. “We’re grateful the Texas Legislature recognizes the need to protect this critical resource and the health care infrastructure of our state. Without staff, there are no hospitals. Without hospitals, Texas communities are at risk.”
Serena Bumpus, CEO of TNA, said the workplace violence prevention toolkit “offers a roadmap for addressing this ever-growing problem in our health care facilities,” Bumpus said. “We are committed to fostering safe and secure facilities that ensure nurses and other health care professionals can focus on caring for Texans.”
The toolkit is available now on THA’s website as a free download for hospital administrators, clinicians, health care workers and anyone else with an interest in preventing violence in health care settings.
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