A bill that would require hospitals to have violence prevention plans in all units is making its way through the state Senate.
Growing concerns about health worker safety prompted the measure.
Two nurses were stabbed in separate incidents on the same day at two Los Angeles-area hospitals last month.
Statistics show workers in healthcare settings are five times more likely to be the victims of a violent attack than workers in other professions.
Bonnie Castillo, with the California Nurses Association, said hospitals need to do a better job to prevent violence.
“People go to the hospital and expect it to be a safe haven in order to heal," she explained. "And so, if it’s not safe and you’re not secure, it really completely contradicts the whole purpose of being in the hospital.”
The California Hospital Association says its members are already required to have comprehensive violence prevention programs.
But supporters of the bill say those measures only apply to emergency departments.
In addition to mandating hospitals provide more widespread violence prevention efforts, the bill also requires Cal/OSHA to post reports of violent incidents at hospitals on its website.
