ANA Launches National Day of Action in Effort to Strengthen Nurse Safety Laws
Nurses across the United States are banding together today, thanks to the American Nurses Association (ANA) spearheading a National Nurses Day of Action. Their mission? To rally Congress into action on two crucial legislative pieces aimed at tackling workplace violence and bolstering mental health support for our nursing community.
Two Key Bills Nurses Should Know About
Nurse safety and mental health remain top concerns across U.S. healthcare. Two major federal bills are now at the center of advocacy efforts:
- Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 2531 / S.1232): Would require OSHA to create and enforce standards that protect health care workers from workplace violence. Aims to reduce assaults, threats, and unsafe conditions in hospitals and care facilities.
- Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act (H.R. 929 / S.266): Ensures continued federal funding for mental health and substance-use programs for health care providers. Supports education, stigma reduction, and accessible mental health resources for nurses and other clinicians.
During a March 22 2024 congressional briefing, ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy stated, “Violence against health care professionals — the very people who are entrusted to care for the sick and encourage healing — is absolutely unacceptable and reprehensible. … Passage of federal legislation to protect our nurses … is long overdue.”
The ANA also cited data showing up to 80 % of nurses who experience workplace violence never report it, and that emergency-department nurses regularly face violent events.
The ANA is calling its members to contribute personal stories and engage in advocacy using tools like social-media hashtags (#NursesDayOfAction2025) and an online toolkit for contacting legislators. Through this effort, nurses are using their collective voice to highlight how workplace violence and mental-health stressors impact safety and care.
“The only way to make lasting change is to pair our professional practice with legislative protections,” said Kennedy in industry interviews.
The Broader Impact on Nursing and Patient Care
Nurse safety and mental health can directly affect patient outcomes. When nurses work in safe environments and receive mental-health support, they are likely better able to provide high-quality care, stay in practice, and sustain their careers. The ANA emphasizes that advancing these bills is a key step toward strengthening the nursing workforce and protecting patients.
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