A Message to Texas Nurses

By Jack Frazee, JD

Just two weeks ago, Kit Bredimus, DNP, RN, CEN, shared practice tips about personal safety gleaned from years of working in the emergency department and pointed out that violence against nurses is rising. Sadly, over the weekend a patient’s family member shot and killed two healthcare workers at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, adding urgency to TNA’s efforts to combat this disturbing trend of violence against nurses. TNA extends its condolences to the families and friends of the victims, and to their work colleagues who have to return to work in the very same place that saw such senseless violence while the investigation was ongoing.

The lasting trauma created by such situations negatively impact nurse well-being, leading to burnout and mental health struggles like PTSD. As we mourn the loss of our colleagues, we are also thinking about what we can do to prevent these incidents from happening in the future.

TNA has been advocating for the Texas Legislature to establish uniform safety requirements in healthcare facilities in Texas for the past several sessions. Unfortunately, the Legislature has failed to pass proposed bills into law. Most recently, in the 87th session, the Legislature considered HB 326, which would have required healthcare facilities to adopt workplace violence prevention plans, protected nurses’ rights to report violent incidents to management and to law enforcement, and ensured that healthcare workers subjected to violence receive proper care after the incident. It is critical that this legislation pass in the coming session.

TNA’s government affairs team has been working with a coalition of nursing specialty organizations and the Texas Hospital Association to present a unified front on the issue of preventing workplace violence. Saturday’s event has only heightened the urgency we feel around this. We have already been in contact with coalition partners and legislative offices to discuss the importance of this legislation in the coming session.

As we move toward the opening of the 88th session, TNA, in conjunction with the Nursing Legislative Action Coalition (NLAC) and other healthcare organizations, will raise this issue with legislators as a top priority. We will need the support and activism of constituents like you to ensure that our legislators take action to pass the bill.

The loss of Katie Flowers and Jacqueline Pokuaa over the weekend bring immense sadness to the nursing community. We ask that you join TNA in educating lawmakers about the need to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future by passing responsive legislation. The legislative session begins in January of 2023, and we expect multiple opportunities for nurses to attend committee hearings, speak with legislators, and share their experiences with representative and senators. Your experiences are important and your stories will help lawmakers understand the significance of this issue. By working together, we may be able to provide better protection to nurses and other healthcare workers.