This is an original excerpt written by our team to show structure, depth and referencing. It is modelled on the course named above but is not a university document. Use samples as a study guide and follow your school's academic integrity policy.
Thesis
Health care employers should be legally required to run comprehensive workplace violence prevention programs, rather than adopting them voluntarily, because violence against nurses is common, underreported and preventable with known measures.
Argument 1: The problem is widespread and serious
Health care workers face high rates of workplace violence, and most of it comes from patients and visitors. Emergency departments, psychiatric units and long-term care settings carry the greatest risk, and nurses are among those most affected (Phillips, 2016). Violence causes physical injury and also contributes to anxiety, burnout and nurses leaving their jobs, which worsens staffing for everyone.
Argument 2: Underreporting hides the true scale
Many incidents are never formally reported. Health care workers often see verbal abuse and even assault as "part of the job," doubt that reporting will change anything, or worry about being blamed (Phillips, 2016). When incidents aren't reported, employers can't see patterns and have little pressure to act. A requirement to keep incident logs and review them would make the problem visible.
Argument 3: Prevention works when it is systematic
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA, 2016) guidelines describe five building blocks of an effective program:
- Management commitment and worker participation
- Worksite analysis to identify hazards, such as reviewing incident records and surveying staff
- Hazard prevention and control, including environmental design, alarms, adequate staffing and policies for flagging patients with a history of violence
- Safety and health training, such as recognizing escalation and de-escalation techniques
- Recordkeeping and program evaluation
These measures are known and practical. The problem is that, as guidelines, they are voluntary, so adoption varies from one employer to the next.
Counterarguments and responses
"Patients are sick, so violence can't be prevented." Some aggression comes from delirium, dementia or acute psychiatric illness, and patients in these states need compassionate care. But that is a reason for better systems, such as early recognition, adequate staffing and safer environments, not for accepting injuries as inevitable.
"Regulations are costly for hospitals." Prevention programs have costs, but so do injuries, lost workdays, turnover and the cost of replacing experienced nurses. Many of the measures, such as reporting systems, risk flags and training, are low cost.
"Hospitals already have security." Security staff respond after an incident starts. A prevention program works upstream, assessing risk and changing the environment and workflow before violence occurs.
Conclusion
Some states already require health care employers to have violence prevention plans, but protection should not depend on where a nurse works. A legal requirement built on OSHA's five elements would protect nurses and patients alike. MSN-prepared nurses can support it by documenting incidents, leading prevention committees and sharing evidence with legislators.
References
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2016). Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for healthcare and social service workers (OSHA 3148-06R). U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdf
Phillips, J. P. (2016). Workplace violence against health care workers in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine, 374(17), 1661–1669. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1501998
