AHA Nurse Safety ANR Audio

Paid for by the American Hospital Association.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the nation's healthcare workforce, especially nurses. A survey published in Workplace Health and Safety revealed that nearly 45% of nurses encountered physical violence and more than two-thirds were victims of verbal abuse in early 2020. Robyn Begley is the AHA's Chief Nursing Officer. "We are experiencing, quite literally, a growing assault on our profession. The women and men who dedicate themselves to saving lives deserve a safe and healthy practice environment, free of violence and intimidation." The AHA is urging the attorney general to support legislation that would create federal protections from intimidation and assault for health care workers. All workers deserve to feel safe on the job. And while we will never reduce violence in hospitals to zero, hospitals can insist on zero tolerance for abusive behavior. Visit aha.org to learn more.