Nurses are advocating for the passage of
workplace violence and pediatric bills
WASHINGTON, April 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Emergency nurses are strong
advocates for the laws and tools they need to be safe at work and
sufficiently prepared to care for all their patients. Emergency
nurses from nearly every state gathered in Washington, D.C., this week for the Emergency
Nurses Association's annual Day on the Hill advocacy event.
As part of Day on the Hill, ENA members called on Congress to
reauthorize funding for the Emergency Medical Services for Children
program and to pass laws aimed at reducing workplace violence in
health care. Specifically, the EMSC Reauthorization Act (H.R.
6960/S. 3765) is an ENA priority this year because of its
importance as the only federal program dedicated to improving
emergency care for children. Authority for the EMSC program is set
to lapse on Sept. 30 if Congress does
not reauthorize it.
"It's exciting to see so many ED nurses passionate about
advocacy," said ENA President Chris Dellinger MBA, BSN, RN, FAEN.
"The EMSC reauthorization ensures that EDs and EMS personnel have
access to appropriate medication, equipment, training and systems
through various grants aimed at improving care for pediatric
patients."
ENA also continues to be a leading voice for legislation aimed
at reducing the frequency and severity of workplace violence
against emergency nurses. The association supports the Workplace
Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers
Act (H.R. 2663/S. 1176) which directs OSHA to require health
care and social service employers to develop and implement
workplace violence prevention plans that are worker-driven and
comprehensive to ensure the safety of patients and workers. ENA
also backs the Support the Safety From Violence for Healthcare
Employees Act (H.R. 2584/S. 2768). There is currently no federal
law that protects hospital employees from assault or intimidation.
The SAVE Act would mirror protections for aircraft and airport
workers and would allow extra tools for prosecutors to charge
individuals threatening hospitals and their workers.
"We know workplace violence is a problem in the emergency
department but many times it goes unreported. This doesn't give an
accurate representation of how extensive it truly is," said
Dellinger. "Whether it's verbal or physical assault, no one should
go to work and expect that kind of treatment. Stronger statistics
will allow our legislators to see how big this problem truly
is."
About the Emergency Nurses Association
The Emergency
Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association
dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through
advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded
in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the
global emergency nursing community. With nearly 50,000 members
worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops
industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides
emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in
triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of
emergency care. Additional information is available at
www.ena.org.
ENA Media Contact:
Morgan Wietecha
Media Relations Strategist
847-460-4038
morgan.wietecha@ena.org
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SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association