Violence at the bedside is not always avoidable so a no tolerance policy should be enforced by the Illinois State Legislature

Abstract

The burden of workplace violence is high; “nearly two million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year”. Workplace violence (WPV) has been defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as “violent acts (including physical assaults and threats of assault) directed toward persons at work or on duty”. Violence at the bedside is not always avoidable, so a no tolerance policy should be enforced by the State Legislature. Workplace violence has always been with us. But in recent years, it has grown into what “many are calling a national occupational health and safety hazard of epidemic proportions”.

In this commentary, I will provide a background of healthcare violence, the growth of the violence, the effects of the violence on the victims; healthcare workers. Then define the problem at hand and offer the fix.