Assaults on ER staff major concern, state lawmakers push for change

Local health care workers say violence in their workplace, specifically in emergency rooms, is at an all-time high. These concerns come as state lawmakers work to make penalties harsher for those who attack hospital staff in Oregon.

According to a 2022 survey by the Oregon Nurses Association and Oregon Association of Emergency Room nurses, 70 percent of ER nurses in Oregon reported having been attacked at work. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports health care as one of the industries with the highest rates of intentional attacks on workers.

Source: Assaults on ER staff major concern, state lawmakers push for change