2010 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 10-035 BY SENATOR(S) Tochtrop, Boyd; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Acree, Apuan, Balmer, Baumgardner, Benefield, Bradford, Casso, Court, Curry, DelGrosso, Ferrandino, Fischer, Frangas, Gagliardi, Gardner B., Gardner C., Gerou, Hullinghorst, Judd, Kagan, Kefalas, Kerr A., Kerr J., King S., Labuda, Lambert, Levy, Liston, Looper, Massey, May, McCann, McFadyen, McKinley, McNulty, Merrifield, Middleton, Miklosi, Murray, Nikkel, Pace, Peniston, Pommer, Primavera, Priola, Rice, Riesberg, Roberts, Ryden, Scanlan, Schafer S., Solano, Sonnenberg, Soper, Stephens, Summers, Swalm, Tipton, Todd, Tyler, Vaad, Vigil, Waller, Weissmann, Carroll T. CONCERNING SUPPORT FOR MEASURES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AGAINST MEDICAL CARE PROFESSIONALS IN HOSPITALS. WHEREAS, Emergency medical care providers and medical care professionals in hospitals are committed to providing treatment to any injured or ill person, regardless of the circumstance; and WHEREAS, Studies show an increasing number of assaults against hospital medical care workers resulting in bodily harm; and WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a 2002 publication entitled Violence: Occupational Hazards in Hospitals, which explains that violence in hospitals is often different from violence in other workplaces because it results from patients and families who may feel frustrated, vulnerable, and out of control; and WHEREAS, Hospital medical care professionals are particularly vulnerable to workplace assaults because of several unique risk factors such as the open, welcoming environment of hospitals and the resulting continuous stream of patients and visitors, the increase in the number of patients with substance abuse issues, and the presence of distraught family members; and WHEREAS, Recent studies report that workplace violence is a significant and widespread public health concern among health care workers and not only among those workers in emergency or psychiatric departments; the health care sector, in general, continues to lead all other industry sectors in the incidence of nonfatal workplace assaults; and WHEREAS, The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, in 2000, almost half of all nonfatal injuries from violent acts against workers occurred in the health care sector; and WHEREAS, A recent survey found that 20% of a hospital's staff reported a physical assault in the last five shifts worked; one Florida study reported that 100% of emergency department nurses had experienced verbal threats and 82% reported having been physically assaulted; and WHEREAS, Although staff in other hospital units also reported unacceptably high levels of verbal threats and physical violence, emergency department staff experienced the highest volume of reported assaults; and WHEREAS, Violence against medical care professionals occurs regardless of the size or location of the hospital or community; and WHEREAS, The safety of Colorado's medical care professionals working in hospitals is essential for Colorado's health care system to function properly to provide the best care for residents of the state; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein: That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, hereby: (1) Applaud the dedication and resolve of medical care professionals who work in hospitals under conditions that are not only stressful but may be high-risk as well; (2) Recognize the serious nature and unacceptably high number of violent acts committed against medical care professionals in hospitals and the need to better ensure a safe working environment for those workers; and (3) Express support for exploring future measures designed specifically to strengthen penalties for perpetrators of assaults against medical care professionals in hospitals and in the field. Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to Centura Health, Colorado Hospital Association, Colorado Nurses Association, and HealthONE. ____________________________ ____________________________ Brandon C. Shaffer Terrance D. Carroll PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Karen Goldman Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES