North Dakota nurses take a stand against workplace violence
BISMARCK – Assaults against healthcare workers are rising at alarming rates, nurses and others told the House Judiciary committee recently, voicing support for a bill that equalizes penalties for assaulting a healthcare worker in a healthcare setting.
As the law stands, it is a class C felony to knowingly assault a healthcare worker, but only in a hospital emergency room.
“We know that healthcare workers are at an elevated risk of workplace violence,” Sherri Miller, executive director for the North Dakota Nurses Association, said in an interview. “It can happen anywhere in the facilities, too, not just in the ERs. This bill would make it a felony anywhere in the facility.”
According to statistics presented to the committee, 48% of nurses reported having experienced violence in the workplace in 2022, a 31% increase since just last year.
HB 1121 passed the House Jan. 13 and was sent to the Senate. Action there on the bill can be tracked on ndlegis. gov.
Alexandra Martinez, a nurse from Fargo, testified in support of HB 1121 on Jan. 10, sharing what she said was her first-hand experience with workplace violence.
“Let me start by telling you that nursing has always been my dream,” said Martinez. “My world changed when a patient I was helping chose to kick me in the head.” While assisting a patient to remove a breathing tube, Martinez said, she and a coworker were both assaulted.
As a result of the assault, a neuro exam confirmed Martinez had a concussion. Because she was pregnant at the time, Martinez said she decided against x-rays of her torso.
“The nausea and headaches that followed are now gone,” said Martinez. “But the fear this will happen again is still there. I’m not able to do the physical activities I used to do, and I am not myself.”
Miller said it is important that the bill would offer protection for the entire healthcare team anywhere in the facility. “Nurses are a part of the team who are there to care for people,” she said.
Additionally, “People behave better when they know they could be charged with a felony,” Miller said. “This is not to say that every case would get to this felony level, but the protection would be there.”