USELESS LAWS

I received a question to this blog recently regarding how many states had felony designation for assault on a healthcare worker.  I’m working on the answer, but I believe this is the wrong question.  A nurse wrote to this blog telling me proudly that in her state it was a felony to assault a healthcare worker.  I checked.  In its first year, not a single person was prosecuted under this law.  That’s been my own experience.  I have NEVER seen anyone prosecuted for assaulting a healthcare worker.  I would be interested to hear from any healthcare worker whose hospital actually assisted them after they were assaulted.  Healthcare workers are under great pressure NOT to press charges against patients.  Police departments are very biased against charges made by emergency nurses. In some cases, the police refuse to come to the emergency department and take a report.  Hospitals do not want to be part of any attempt to prosecute “customers.”  Passing laws making assaults on healthcare workers a felony helps no one.  A useful law would be one that required a hospital to take measured steps against patients who assault employees, and prevented a hospital from punishing any employee who brought charges against a patient.