20-04-2025
Kentucky healthcare safety advocates call for change amid rise in violence
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — A rise in violence against healthcare workers in Kentucky has sparked new calls for change.
The Kentucky Nurses Association (KNA) said in a news release on Friday that members are asking lawmakers to refine a 2023 bill that requires hospitals to establish a safety plan alongside annual training to lower the risks of violence against healthcare staff in the workplace.
The KNA wrote that as many as one in five healthcare providers are subjected to workplace violence, and are five times more likely to sustain an injury at work than in other jobs.
The association wrote that issues with language in the bill have prevented wide implementation, leading to members working directly with Rep. Jason Nemes, who sponsored the bill, to provide the protections it was designed to give healthcare providers across the Commonwealth.
'We want to have a coalition of willing healthcare providers to help lawmakers navigate the nuances and practical realities of ensuring Kentucky's healthcare workforce is safe in their work environment,' the KNA wrote.
Kentucky healthcare advocates said safety is vital to the work these staff members do each day.
'Who wants to join a profession when there's a great possibility that they will be harmed? Not many people,' KNA CEO Delanor Manson said.
Manson urged all Kentuckians, not just those in the medical field, to connect with their state representatives and push for stronger protections for healthcare workers.
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