Two-thirds of Ohio nurses experienced workplace violence in past year, new report finds

More than two-thirds of Ohio nurses and health professionals have experienced workplace violence in the past year, according to a report recently released by the Ohio Nurses Association (Source: “Majority of Ohio nurses experienced violence at work in the last year,” Columbus Dispatch, May 4).
 
The report, compiled by the state nurses' union from nearly 3,000 respondents across various medical fields and all 88 Ohio counties, detailed that the vast majority of health care workers experience violence at work, do not feel safe at work, or feel their work is not adequately staffed to be a safe environment.
 
The survey comes as workplace violence in health care rises nationally, and has been rising since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report calls out systemic failures that contribute to the rise, which include staffing shortages, lack of prevention measures in hospitals, inadequate security and a culture that "normalizes" abuse as part of the job.