Violence Against Nurses Should Never Be Considered “Part of the Job”

A nurse enters the workplace prepared to care for people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Nurses expect stress, pressure, and difficult conversations. What they should never be expected to endure is being punched, kicked, bitten, spit on, threatened, stalked, sexually harassed, or assaulted.

Yet violence has become a disturbing reality for far too many nurses across the country.

A recent article published by Chief Healthcare Executive emphasized what nurses have been saying for years: violence against healthcare workers has reached crisis levels. Healthcare leaders are now calling for stronger federal protections because these attacks cannot be allowed to become normalized.

The statistics are staggering. According to Nurse.org’s 2026 survey, 27% of nurses reported being physically assaulted at work during the previous year, while more than half experienced verbal threats or aggressive behavior. Emergency, psychiatric, telemetry, and medical-surgical nurses reported some of the highest rates of violence.

Nurses described being hit, bitten, grabbed, threatened with weapons, and sexually harassed while simply trying to perform their duties.

Perhaps even more disturbing is that many nurses no longer report these incidents because they believe nothing will be done. Imagine working in an environment where assault becomes so common that employees stop expecting protection or accountability. That level of desensitization is dangerous not only for nurses but also for the patients in their care.

Federal Protection for Healthcare Workers

Momentum is growing in Congress for the Save Healthcare Workers Act, H.R. 3178. The proposed legislation would establish federal criminal penalties for assaulting healthcare workers, including nurses.

Under the proposal, violent assaults could carry prison sentences of up to 10 years. Attacks involving a weapon or resulting in serious bodily injury could lead to sentences of up to 20 years. The legislation would also provide funding for workplace-violence prevention programs, security improvements, and de-escalation training. More information about the proposal is available through The Nursing Directory.

Supporters argue that nurses deserve protections similar to those already provided to airline crews and federal officers. It is difficult to argue otherwise.

Nurses regularly enter unpredictable situations involving psychiatric crises, substance intoxication, dementia, trauma, grief, fear, and anger. These circumstances may help explain why some violent incidents occur, but they do not mean that violence should be accepted. Compassion for patients should never require nurses to sacrifice their own safety.

Federal legislation would be an important step, but criminal penalties alone will not prevent every assault. Prevention must begin inside healthcare facilities before violence occurs. At least one hospital in the San Diego area has posted a warning informing patients and visitors that abusive or violent behavior against employees will not be tolerated. Visible warnings such as these send an important message, but they must be supported by meaningful safety policies and enforcement.

Staffing and Workplace Safety Are Connected

Many nurses and advocacy organizations are also calling for stronger staffing laws and mandatory workplace-violence prevention standards.

When units are dangerously understaffed, tensions can escalate more quickly. Delays increase frustration among patients and family members, while overworked nurses have less time to identify warning signs and intervene before a situation spirals out of control. Safe staffing and workplace safety are deeply connected.

Healthcare organizations must stop treating violence as an unavoidable part of nursing. Hospitals and other facilities should invest in:

• Adequate security personnel

• Accessible panic buttons and emergency-alert systems

• Effective visitor-management procedures

• Comprehensive reporting systems

• De-escalation and self-protection training

• Appropriate staffing levels

• Clear consequences for threatening or violent behavior

• Medical, psychological, and administrative support following an incident

A nurse who has been assaulted should not be expected to finish charting and continue working as though nothing happened.

What Nurses Can Do Now

Nurses do not have to wait for legislation to begin demanding change.

First, nurses must stop minimizing workplace violence. Being assaulted is not “just part of the job.” Every assault, threat, and act of aggression matters and should be documented and reported according to workplace policy. The normalization of violence thrives when incidents remain hidden.

Second, nurses can support organizations advocating for legislative reform, including state nursing associations, the Emergency Nurses Association, and workplace-safety coalitions. Nurses often underestimate the power of their collective voice. Legislators pay attention when healthcare professionals organize, document their experiences, and speak publicly about unsafe conditions.

Third, nurses can contact their federal representatives and ask them to support legislation protecting healthcare workers. Information about elected representatives is available through House.gov and Congress.gov.

Finally, nurses can demand accountability from their employers. Every facility should have a clear workplace-violence prevention plan, a reliable reporting process, and an established protocol for supporting employees after an incident. Reports should be taken seriously, investigated promptly, and used to improve security and prevention efforts.

Nurses Deserve Protection

This issue is bigger than workplace frustration. It is about safety, dignity, and whether society believes that the people caring for others deserve protection themselves.

For years, nurses have advocated for their patients. Now it is time for healthcare organizations, lawmakers, and the public to advocate for nurses with the same determination and urgency.

Violence against nurses must never be accepted, minimized, or dismissed as “part of the job.” When violence becomes routine in healthcare, nurses suffer, patient care suffers, and everyone loses.

(Originally by Lorie A. Brown, R.N., M.N., J.D.)