Tulsa nurse speaks out on workplace violence in healthcare

A study shows workplace violence against healthcare workers is rising.

Tulsa nurse JP Williams says assaults are common and can drive nurses out of the field, hurting patient care. She says Oklahoma’s felony law for attacking healthcare workers is an important step toward protection.

Q: How big of a problem is workplace violence in healthcare?

A study from the National Library of Medicine found that more than one in three healthcare workers has been verbally or physically assaulted on the job, and nearly 32 percent say they’ve experienced both.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that between 2021 and 2022, there were more than 42,000 cases of workplace violence in the healthcare and social assistance industries — accounting for nearly 73% of all such cases in private workplaces.

Q: Has Tulsa seen incidents like this before?

Yes. On June 1, 2022, a gunman opened fire inside a medical building on the Saint Francis campus in Tulsa.

The shooter, Michael Louis, killed five people, including Dr. Preston Phillips, who had performed back surgery on him weeks earlier.

Louis blamed Dr. Phillips for his ongoing pain.

Q: What do local nurses say about violence on the job?

Registered Nurse JP Williams, who’s been in the field for 28 years, says many nurses in Oklahoma have stories of being threatened or attacked.

“Being a member of the ONA, the Oklahoma Nurses Association, we gather stories from nurses all throughout the state that share with us stories that they’ve experienced workplace violence,” Williams said.

Q: What kinds of threats are nurses facing?

Williams says assaults come from patients and family members who become angry or frustrated with medical care or outcomes.

“It’s sad because we pride ourselves with being caregivers… and so the fact that we go to work to care for individuals and we could possibly ourselves become patients or victims of violence — it is disturbing, but it’s a fact,” Williams said.

Q: What is Oklahoma doing to protect healthcare workers?

In 2020, Oklahoma passed House Bill 1290, which makes assaulting a healthcare worker a felony. Williams says it was an important step forward.

“That was a huge win for our state and for health care workers to know that there are consequences when we do experience assault,” Williams said.

Q: Why does this issue matter to patients too?

Williams says that when nurses are injured, it affects everyone who needs care.

“Any nurse that is injured at work that would potentially be removed from the workforce — that is a direct impact on Oklahomans,” Williams said. “If we don’t have nurses at the bedside to care for you, that’s a problem for us all.”

Q: Where is workplace violence happening?

It’s not limited to emergency rooms. Williams says it can happen anywhere care is given — even in doctors’ offices, pediatric clinics, or home health visits.