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MNA’s Workplace Violence Prevention Task Force Win’s Honors for Poster Presentation at International Conference

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CANTON, Mass. – The Massachusetts Nurses Association’s (MNA’s) Workplace Violence Task Force recently received the honor of “Best Poster Presentation Award” for its submission entitled “Legal Interventions for Addressing Workplace Violence in the Health Sector” at the International Workplace Violence Conference in Holland.

The conference, which was held in Amsterdam between October 22 and 24, focused on the ever-increasing rate of violence against health care workers across the globe. The specific goals of the conference were to:

  • Sensitize stakeholders to the issue of workplace violence
  • Promote effective policies and strategies to create safe work environments
  • Understand the manifestations and the human, professional and economic implications of workplace violence

“Workplace violence in the health sector is progressively gaining attention and recognition as being a global challenge,” added Susan Vickory, an RN, a member of the MNA’s Workplace Violence Task Force, and the person responsible for developing the information for the poster presentation “This occupational health hazard affects workers across all sectors, but it has become a major concern for many different stakeholders in the health care industry.”

“Our poster presentation focused on the specifics of how to hold perpetrators of workplace violence accountable for their crimes against nurses and other health care workers,” added Rosemary O-Brien RN, chairperson Workplace Violence Task Force, and the poster presenter. “In health care or anywhere, violence is a crime. Holding perpetrators accountable is the only way to create a safer environment for workers and, ultimately, for patients.”

Also attending the conference and assisting in the development of the poster presentation were Terri Arthur, RN, MNA member, and a member of the MNA’s Congress on Health and Safety, and Evie Bain, RN and coordinator of the MNA’s health and safety program.

More than 20 countries were represented at the conference and a total of 43 posters were presented. “This is a great honor for the MNA and for the Taskforce,” said O’Brien. “As we move forward with our work, we will know that we’re not only helping local health care workers but workers from across the globe as well.”