“Dirty little secret of nursing”: workplace violence

She is a 73-year-old great-grandmother and a nurse. Sheila Wilson has worked in hospitals, shelters and clinics and says she has seen “the dirty little secret of nursing”: workplace violence.

As many regular readers of our North Carolina law blog know, workplace violence against healthcare providers has been on the rise over the past decade.

Wilson says nursing is the best career a person could choose, but that it is plagued by workplace violence. The Massachusetts resident is co-founder of the nonprofit Stop Healthcare Violence, a group lobbying her state’s legislature to increase penalties for assaults on people in her field.

Said Wilson, “Being punched, bitten, spit upon, groped, jumped on from behind, knocked unconscious, and attacked with weapons are common occurrences for healthcare professionals.”

The federal government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says violence in healthcare accounts for almost as many injuries as all other industries combined.

Up to 20,000 healthcare workers per year suffer injuries serious enough for them to require time off of work.

It does not really matter which type of work a person pursues: on-the-job violence is always unacceptable. And when someone sustains injuries in the course of their work, it is also unacceptable that they are then denied North Carolina workers’ comp.

An experienced Charlotte workers compensation lawyer can help you appeal a denial of deserved and earned workers’ comp benefits. Please feel free to contact the law firm of Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler for information about how we can help you in your situation.