Violence Against Nurses Climbed 5% Last Year, Report Shows

Reported assaults on nurses jumped 5% across the United States in 2023, according to a new report, raising questions for workers’ compensation insurers and potentially adding to calls for legislation from Congress.

Press Ganey, a company that analyzes health care data and surveys patients and workers, released a report last week that shows that the rate of reported assaults climbed from 2.59 per 100 nursing personnel in 2022 to 2.71 last year — a record high.

The rise may be partly due to increased reporting of incidents, but the numbers are concerning, the company said: Almost 17,000 assaults last year, nationwide. The Press Ganey surveys also showed that, overall, health care workplace safety culture and awareness is improving.

Becker’s Hospital Review reported that nurse and physician groups are pushing for two bills that could address the danger to health workers. Senate Bill 1176, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., would require the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a workplace violence prevention standard, mandating that hospitals develop prevention plans.

Another bill in Congress, S 2768, the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act, would stiffen penalties for assaults on health workers. Both bills were introduced last year and have yet to see votes in committees.

The American Nurses Association has reported that 13% of missed work days by nurses are due to workplace violence.

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