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New bill aims to reduce workplace violence against health care workers in Colorado

By 02/18/2025 | updated 1 year ago

A Democratic senator from Thornton has introduced a bill requiring hospitals to implement procedures tackling ​violence against health care workers.

Sen. Kyle Mullica, an ER nurse, said violence against health care workers is so prevalent that many doctors and hospital staff have just accepted it as part of the job. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care workers account for 73% of all non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence. Mullica said rates of workplace violence in health care facilities were already on the rise when COVID hit, casting the issue into the national spotlight. 

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During the pandemic, nearly half of all registered nurses in the U.S. reported physical abuse, and 70% reported experiencing verbal abuse, he said. 

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“These alarming statistics highlight the need for action,” Mullica said. “That’s why we’re introducing a bill designed to mitigate workplace violence and protect Colorado’s health care workers.”

The bill, which has not yet been officially introduced, will require hospitals to implement procedures to address workplace violence and report incidents to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment starting in 2026. It will also create a task force to find funding available to address workplace violence and come up with policies to help lower the incidents. 

“The reality is that workplace violence in health care settings is not just a workplace safety issue, it’s a health care crisis,” said Mullica, adding that many health care workers don’t report acts of violence because they’re afraid of retaliation. He pointed to research showing that only 20 to 60% of incidences of workplace violence at health care centers are reported. 

“This bill will begin to tackle those barriers head on, encouraging a culture of transparency, accountability, and support for health care workers by assuring the hospitals are taking concrete actions and reporting their progress,” he said. “We will work towards brining safer, healthier environments for those who care for us all.”

Mark Longshore, executive director of the Colorado Nurses Association, said the high rates of workplace violence in health care professions are exacerbating Colorado’s nursing shortage. He cited a study that found workplace violence leads directly to decreasing job satisfaction for health care workers, increasing feelings of burnout, stress, guilt, and intention to quit. 

“We cannot continue to say, ‘lock them up’, we cannot continue to say the employer needs to do something; we need dialogue between all of those with a stake in the outcome,” said Longshore.  

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