Victory for Workplace Violence Prevention

NYSNA nurses applaud the passage of bill A203B/S5294B in the New York State Legislature. This critical legislation requires hospitals and nursing homes to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence safety and prevention programs. The bill also requires hospitals to improve security measures in emergency settings.  

Now that the bill has passed the state legislature, NYSNA members call on Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law to enshrine these necessary protections for healthcare workers.  

Throughout this legislative session, NYSNA members have been tirelessly advocating for a package of workplace violence prevention bills, including A203B/S5294B. The bill package included legislation that would require private sector hospitals and nursing homes to conduct annual workplace violence assessments with the active participation of both workers and unions, allow healthcare workers to give statements to the police at their facility (as opposed to a police station), and require public sector employers to release and pay workers for participating in existing violence prevention programs.  

In May, NYSNA members rallied with healthcare workers from 1199SEIU and elected officials in support of these workplace violence prevention bills. Tonia Bazel, RN, of Albany Medical Center, spoke at the rally about the critical need for this crucial legislation. “With cuts to healthcare, hospital overcrowding and understaffing, patients aren’t getting the care they need. This makes our risks for workplace violence higher,” Bazel said. “The pandemic exacerbated an already distressing problem and, since then, I’ve watched nurses threatened and punched and kicked. I’ve seen patients bring weapons into this hospital. When access to care is compromised, when understaffing is rampant, workplace violence increases.”

Just as nurses advocate for our patients, we must also advocate for legislation that advances the nursing profession, holds hospitals and other healthcare providers accountable, and ensures that hospitals remain accessible and safe places of healing for all. That’s why NYSNA prioritizes workplace safety initiatives, including those that directly address workplace violence and the safety of our members in healthcare settings.  

Though the passage of this bill represents a victory for healthcare workers in New York state, the fight is not over. NYSNA will continue to advocate for policies in the legislature and in our facilities that prevent workplace violence and protect nurses and our patients.