If there is anything else besides nursing that I am enthusiastic about, it would have to be government.

I
try to keep up with the current House Bills (HB) that are up for consideration in the state of Texas, and I
came across one that caught my curiosity. Rep. Donna Howard's HB 1146 addresses workplace violence.
According to data acquired, 70 percent of all workplace attacks in the United States happened in
healthcare and public service settings. HB 1146 will give nurses and other health care employees
comprehensive protection. Nurses are frequently subjected to preventable abuse that affects not just
them but also others around them, such as other healthcare professionals or even clients (Texas Nurses
Association). From the outside looking in, the facts of this law are really remarkable. 50 percent of all
workplace violence recorded in Texas is threats, 46 percent is verbal abuse, 64 percent is physical
assault, and 82 percent is sexual harassment. Once this bill is approved, the health care institution will
be obliged to implement various measures, one of which is a violence prevention policy and plans that
are accessible to all health care staff at the facility. Second, the institution will be required to provide
occupational safety training, with a focus on workplace violence. Third, a workplace committee will be
required to conduct an annual evaluation of the hospital's workplace violence prevention strategy.
Fourth, the institution will be expected to have a mechanism in place for reacting to and investigating
workplace violence events. Finally, all health care institutions will be required to provide post-incident
therapy for employees on the job. Once approved, this law will benefit all nurses in Texas, regardless of
the size of the facility in which they work. Larger firms usually appear to have rules and processes in
place for any workplace mishaps, but smaller organizations do not. Workplace violence, in whatever
shape it takes, should never be allowed. Working in the nursing sector may be challenging enough
without having to deal with unwelcome workplace violence. The nursing profession maintains
tremendous influence over global healthcare policy. Nurses require assistance in order to achieve
change. And it all starts at home. Political involvement should be encouraged by nurses' families and
friends. Nursing schools must incorporate healthcare policy education into their programs, as well as
encouraging nursing students to participate in politics. Furthermore, nursing school teachers should
participate in policy reforms, serving as role models for their students. Finally, organizations must give
time, resources, and opportunity for staff nurses to impact local, state, and federal policy. After all,
healthcare law impacts us all in the end.

Texas Nurse Association (n.d) Workplace Violence.

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.texasnurses.org/resource/resmgr/docs/gac/2019/
gac_wpv_1pager_hb1146.pdf