Two major bills, one that expands compensation coverage to healthcare workers who contract the deadly MRSA virus, and another that would protect healthcare workers from workplace violence, won key approvals in the California legislature this week and now move to Governor Brown's desk for his signature. Registered nurses applaud today's approval of AB2616, (Skinner) in the Senate and yesterday's passage of SB1299, (Padilla) in the Assembly. Both bills are sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.  
 
AB2616 would extend presumptive eligibility for worker’s compensation for any hospital employees who contract the aggressive, especially virulent antibiotic resistance staph infection commonly known as MRSA. SB1299, would require the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt standards requiring hospitals to create workplace violence prevention plans to protect healthcare workers and other facility personnel from aggressive and violent behavior.

AB 2616, Equity for healthcare workers exposed to MRSA

An estimated 200,000 MRSA occur in California hospitals every year, of which 12,000 result in deaths, according to the State Department of Public Health. RNs are particularly vulnerable to exposure because of the personal nature of the care they provide.   
 
Under current law, a number of workplace injuries qualify for presumption of eligibility for workers’ comp for public safety personnel. But only for police, firefighters and some other safety personnel who are predominantly male. AB 2616 would extend that eligibility to RNs and other hospital employees who are predominantly women.  
 

SB1299 Workplace Violence Prevention

Workplace violence is a continuing concern in California hospitals, nurses say, putting RNs, other hospital workers, and hospital patients, families, and visitors in danger. The issue gained greater urgency earlier this year due to the stabbings of two registered nurses at two separate Los Angeles-area hospitals in April. Violence against RNs and other healthcare workers has spread beyond the emergency room and psychiatric units, where the majority of incidents have previously occurred, to involve most nursing departments throughout the hospital.  One major reason for the escalating occurrences, say nurses, is the lack of adequate preventive measures in too many hospitals.

Studies show that a high percentage of non-fatal assaults and violent acts are by patients or their family members. Rather than criminalize patients or their family, SB1299 emphasizes prevention so that violence doesn't ocurr in the first place.
 
"Throughout the years I've seen violence happening more and more. Our nurses are being injured daily and it only takes a second for them to lose their career and never be able to nurse again due to an assault in the workplace," said RN Carol Koelle, a CNA boardmember."That's why we welcome passage of SB1299 and the development of stronger violence prevention plans in California hospitals."

Specifically, SB 1299 requires the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt standards requiring hospitals to establish workplace violence prevention plans to protect health care workers and other facility personnel, as well as hospital patients, families, and visitors, from aggressive and violent behavior.Under SB 1299, hospitals would be required to have policies that include systems to improve hospital security and appropriate staffing to reduce the potential for violent incidents. Sufficient staffing and security personnel are major preventive measures.

Hospitals would also be required to provide education and training programs for recognizing and responding to violence, and would be prohibited from retaliation against employees who seek help from law enforcement. Additionally the law would step up the requirement for hospitals to document and report incidents of violence to Cal-OSHA and would require Cal/OSHA to post a report on its website containing information regarding violent incidents at hospitals and to make recommendations on how to prevent violent incidents at hospitals