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Nurses urge better reporting and data on workplace violence as committee considers policy steps
Summary
The Wyoming Nurses Association told a joint committee that many assaults on health-care staff go unreported; sponsors want to expand an existing injury reporting system to capture workplace violence data to inform prevention strategies.
Tony Decklever, representing the Wyoming Nurses Association, told the joint committee that workplace violence against nursing staff is a growing problem and that a lack of consistent reporting hampers efforts to craft remedies.
“This last legislative session we did have a reporting bill because the research does say that many, many, many, incidents occur but they are never reported,” Decklever said. He and other witnesses asked the committee to use the state's existing injury reporting system and modify it to record violence against health-care employees so policymakers can determine patterns and develop targeted prevention efforts.
Senators and representatives asked whether incidents involving patients with dementia or other impairments should be treated differently. Decklever said the goal of better reporting is not necessarily to press charges in each case but to gather data that can distinguish assaults by impaired patients from intentional violent acts, and to guide training and de-escalation strategies.
Committee members suggested following up with workforce-services or other agencies about implementation and with the judiciary committee if criminal law overlaps arise. No bill was introduced at the meeting; sponsors requested interim study and agency follow-up.
