Abstract
[This is an excerpt.] A new bargaining chip appeared on the table as hospital employees in Iowa negotiated a new contract with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics—protection from patient attacks. Iowa’s increase in non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses among registered nurses echoed national trends with a 32.9 percent increase in violence-related workplace injury and illness in nurses from 2019 to 2020. Across the US, violent assaults in health care are rising; three nurses were killed at work in the fall of 2022. One hospital-based analysis shows two nurses are assaulted every hour. The statistics are alarming and disturbing. The COVID-19 pandemic increased patient violence toward nurses and health care workers; in one survey, 27 percent of nurses reported more incidents during the pandemic than previously. [To read more, click View Resource.]
This resource is found in our Actionable Strategies for Government: Ensuring Workers' Physical and Mental Health (Strengthen Occupational Safety and Health Policies).
