VOICE FOR EVERYONE | Share your voice with KSHB 41’s JuYeon Kim
A new Kansas law will better protect healthcare workers from all types of abuse and harassment on the job.
Lawmakers finally passed House Bill 2023 back in June, making interfering with the work of a healthcare provider a crime. It also increases the criminal penalties for assaulting one.
Reagan Cussimanio, director of governmental affairs at the University of Kansas Health System, says there have been concerns for a long time among legislators that patients with mental health issues would not be considered in this legislation. But she says that is simply not the case.
“The truth is, that is something that our providers have always, you know, considered when it comes to this type of legislation,” Cussimanio said. ”We’re working in a time right now where we’re having issues with workforce shortages and we want this to be another tool in the toolbox for us, to allow us to support our employees."
Stephanie Burger is a nurse manager at The University of Kansas Health System. She says on many days, she is faced with an ultimatum: sacrifice her own well-being or change her career.
“I’ve had a trash can thrown at me, I’ve been kicked, I’ve been punched, I’ve been spit on,” Burger said. “People are here, they’re sick, tensions are high, but it’s still not an excuse.”
The shock and overwhelm of the assault can go onto impact her sleep and quality of life outside of work hours.
And while these healthcare workers would like to press charges, they often find it hard to actually file a report.
“You have to provide your first and last name and there’s that fear of retaliation as well,” Burger said.
Burger’s story is just one of many across Kansas City area hospitals.
At the KU Health System alone, several submitted reports cite patients threatening nurses with a gun, patients verbally assaulting the staff and patients attempting to break vital hospital equipment.
Burger says the KU Health System has deescalating protocols in place, with a mandatory debriefing session after every incident, but it still does not take away from the mental health of the workers as well as the other patients in their care.
“Violence in the community is steadily increasing, and so we’re seeing that in the health system as well,” Burger said.
Morgan Stebens, forensic program supervisor, went into healthcare for the same reasons many others do — to help people.
But the good work started to come at the expense of their silent suffering.
“When I started, it wasn’t something that we really talked about. It was known,” Stebens said. “Within six months of starting, I think I had a glass of water thrown in my face and that was really my first experience.”
All three women say the legislation is a good first step, but the fight must not stop there.
They are working to introduce additional provisions to the law during the 2024 legislative session.
“We want the hospital to be able to file on behalf of staff so that they don’t have to engage in that juxtaposition of 'You know, I don’t wanna do this because I’m caring for people.' And so that kind of takes that burden away,” Stebens said.
Their hope is the law will protect workers from retaliation or harassment so that they can focus on what they do best.
“Sometimes the thing that we hear is 'Well, you signed up for this.' We didn’t sign up for this. We signed up to care for patients in some of the darkest days and to be that positive light,” Burger said.
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