Caregivers Address Legislative Hall on Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention

ChristianaCare caregivers recently spent the day in Delaware’s Legislative Hall to raise awareness about the verbal threats, physical attacks and other assaults that health care professionals in all settings endure too often as they care for patients. The participants in Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Advocacy Day included caregivers from ChristianaCare’s emergency departments, inpatient units and its nearly 200 ambulatory sites. Representatives from public safety and the ChristianaCare Workplace Civility Steer also attended, providing a systemwide perspective on this important topic. Susan Mascioli, MS, BSN, RN, vice president of Nursing Quality and Safety for ChristianaCare, also spoke before the Delaware State Senate about the impact of workplace violence in health care.

“Violence against health care workers is a complex global issue. As you can imagine, providing safe, high-quality care becomes increasingly difficult when faced with aggression or violence,” Mascioli said in her remarks before the legislators. As a result of Senate Concurrent Resolution 38, sponsored by State Sen. Marie Pinkney and State Rep. Kamela Smith, April has been designated as Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention and Awareness Month in Delaware.

While in Dover, caregivers met with legislators and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay to provide important context about the risks of violence in the workplace affecting health care professionals. They shared personal stories about witnessing or experiencing incidents of workplace violence, as well as the efforts undertaken at ChristianaCare to increase education and awareness about workplace civility measures.

“This was a great opportunity for us to talk with legislators about what we’re doing at ChristianaCare to combat workplace violence. It was also important to explain that this is not just an issue at ChristianaCare but across every hospital in Delaware and the rest of the country,” said Mike Knorr, MSN, RN, vice president of Patient Care Services. Mascioli and Knorr are co-chairs of ChristianaCare’s Workplace Civility Steer.

“Not only do we want them to be aware of the severity of workplace violence in health care, but we want them to know we need the support of local law enforcement and the district attorney’s office to hold people accountable who are committing acts of violence against health care workers.”

About 75% of the workplace assaults reported annually occurred in health care settings, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care workers are five times more likely to be impacted by workplace violence than those in other settings.

• Nearly half of nurses report experiencing physical violence and 68% report experiencing verbal abuse, according to the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses.
• Two out of three emergency physicians reported being assaulted in 2022, with one quarter saying assault occurs multiple times a week, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Over the last four years, ChristianaCare has embarked on a comprehensive, systemwide initiative to reduce workplace violence. This work spans ChristianaCare’s hospital campuses, outpatient practices and home health settings. In 2022, Delaware passed legislation to strengthen protections for health care workers against workplace violence by expanding the definition of assault in the second degree to include causing intentional physical injury to health care workers while they are performing work-related duties. The expanded definition includes physician assistants, respiratory therapists, public safety officers and others caring for patients as part of their work. Despite these and other efforts, violence against health care professionals continues, Mascioli told legislators. “We must remain vigilant, strengthen our collaborations and continue working hand in hand with hospitals, legislators and law enforcement to build a safer environment,” she said. “Our caregivers dedicate themselves to caring for our communities and our goal must be creating a safe and supportive workplace for all.”