“This incident draws attention to the fact that nurses are subject to violence in the workplace, and we are thankful that her assailant has been caught by the police and hope he will be charged to the fullest extent the law allows. New Jersey is a state with increase penalties for assault of nurses,” said NJSNA President Benjamin Evans, DD, DNP, RN, APN. “Even though this nurse was off-duty and walking to her car after her shift in labor and delivery, she was still assaulted at her workplace. This is a reminder that not just nurses, but everyone, really need to be aware of their surroundings at all times, especially at this time of year when it gets dark so early. It also brings attention that we need more security for healthcare workers who work in shifts, no matter where they work from Newark to Atlantic City.”

In the health care and social assistance sectors, 13 percent of days away from work were the result of violence in 2013, and this rate has increased in recent years (U.S. Department of Labor [DOL], Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014), according to the American Nurses Association. Examples of workplace violence include direct physical assaults (with or without weapons), written or verbal threats, physical or verbal harassment, and homicide (Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA, 2015).