Emergency Department Violence Stories

We Must Protect Health Care Workers from Violence

Violence against emergency physicians, nurses and staff is more dangerous and more common than many people think. Physicians and care teams deserve a support system that helps prevent these incidents and protects them when they occur.

• A January 2024 ACEP poll found that 91% of emergency physicians said they or a colleague were threatened or attacked within the prior year.
• More than two-thirds (68%) of those physicians said they did not feel their employer’s response was appropriate. In fact, 50% said nothing was done.

Data only tells part of the story. Tracking emergency department violence is challenging because many health care workers do not report incidents, whether out of fear of retaliation against them, or because they have repeatedly seen that reporting rarely leads to meaningful action.

Violence against emergency physicians and staff must not be tolerated as “just part of the job.”

ACEP and its members are working tirelessly to support legislative and policy solutions at the local, state, and national levels.

• ACEP strongly supports the “Workplace Violence Prevention for Healthcare and Social Service Workers Act,” introduced by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). This bill would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an enforceable standard that health care workplaces implement violence prevention, tracking, and response systems.
• ACEP also strongly supports the bipartisan “Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act,” introduced by Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA), with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Marco Rubio (R-FL). This bill would establish federal criminal penalties for assaulting a health care worker.

Emergency physicians will keep leading the urgent call for solutions and sharing their stories.

More must be done to make sure health care workers can do their jobs without fearing for their safety.