I appreciate the Hazard Abatement Board giving their time and attention to this very important topic, and giving me, a victim of workplace violence, a chance to make a difference by sharing my story. Eighteen thousand workers are the victims of violence every week. Not enough is being done to make workplace environments safer. In my case, I believe a workplace violence standard would have prevented my assault. Basic workplace safety is often ignored and continues to have low priority with my employer, the SUNY Health Science Center in Stonybrook.

    I am a registered nurse with thirty years of experience. I started my nursing career at Kings Park Psychiatric Center and discovered my love for psychiatric nursing. This experience also highlighted the importance of a safe working environment and the detrimental affect violence has on everyone.

    In 1989, I joined the brand new, state of the art Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program [CPEP] located at the State University Hospital. The CPEP unit initially was a small program that emphasized innovative ideas for psychiatric care. This unit serves all of lower Long Island by providing emergency psychiatric care to residents who are in a psychiatric crisis.

    When the unit first opened, staff and patient safety was given a very high priority by management. We would brainstorm safety issues and solutions. Safety concerns were addressed and solved. As time passed however, new administrators came on board who didn’t understand or focus on the perils of violence. This changed the progressive nature of CPEP. Safety as a high priority was gone, brainstorming sessions ceased, and the institutional history and knowledge of violent assaults was forgotten. However, the numbers of disturbed, violent persons being admitted into the unit increased while staffing numbers remained the same as the first day it opened. Police and safety officers equipped with the latest protection equipment brought in most of these needy people, often in handcuffs. As soon as the police brought them to our unit, the handcuffs came off and these often psychotic, drugged, and drunk clients were left in our hands.

    Smart, violence savvy, but really defenseless middle aged professionals staffed our unit. No changes or updates in safety were made even though staff had ongoing issues, protests and concerns. One of the nurses was beaten, and as a result lives with epilepsy. Yet, staff concerns continued to fall upon deaf ears. CPEP underwent a one million dollar renovation that improved the esthetics of the unit, but did not address any safety concerns or upgrades.

    Then, on March 26, 2000, my life was suddenly changed forever by a violent assault. At the time of the attack, I was involved in assessing the assailant, along with two co-workers. The assessment room included furniture that was not attached to the flooring. I attempted to assist a female staff member being hit with a chair by a linebacker-sized male patient. I was attacked and beaten unconscious. This violent and disturbed man stood over me preventing staff from coming to my aid. It took fifteen male staff to subdue this patient, but not before he punched another female in the jaw. The blood of three female staff members was spilled that day. I was left with a back and neck injury, TMJ, optic nerve damage causing peripheral blindness, no sense of smell, chronic pain, and required $100,000 of facial reconstructive surgery.

    As a direct result of this vicious assault, temporary changes were made at CPEP. Nurses were recognized for their dangerous job by receiving an extra 25 cents an hour "hazardous duty pay." A room was created to keep violent prisoners and patients shielded from the public when they were brought into the unit. An attempt to appease staff concerns was made by having around-the-clock security guards. However, guard assignments are in constant flux, and the security guards were not trained or classified to work with psychiatric patients. Furthermore, the hospital used existing security guards on overtime to fulfill this function so there were gaps in protection. No lasting changes have been made that would effectively impact violence in the CPEP unit. Administrators have told nursing staff that they are expendable as compared to higher paid professionals. Clearly, safety is not a top priority for CPEP administrators, at least not safety for nurses.

    Due to the profound injuries of my attack, I am not able to return to what I call my previous life. I have been stigmatized by the "disability" word and remain in constant battle with the very support systems that are supposed to help me. No one should have to end a truly gratifying career the way I had to. Coming here to testify today, reliving this painful experience is difficult, but if I can make a difference in addressing this serious issue, it is worth it. My anger today is based on the fact that my ordeal could have, and should have been prevented. I worked in a great center of learning, with some of the country’s most brilliant minds. Millions of dollars of research is conducted at Stonybrook. Certainly, if the political will was there, Stonybrook has the ability to develop a model workplace safety and security program.

    No one should have to beg for safety, especially, in an obviously dangerous environment. It should be a no-brainer. Safety may have an initially high price tag, but in the long run it is cheaper than the costs of disabling injuries. That is why a standard for workplace violence is needed. Workplace safety cannot be arbitrary, it has to have a real basis to start and must be continually improved until everyone is safe.

    I want to thank Jonathan Rosen, the Director of PEF's Occupational Safety and Health Department, for his very dedicated and ongoing support for workplace safety. He was instrumental in helping CPEP management recognize workplace violence and continues to support CPEP staff that provide care in that dangerous and minimally safe unit. I strongly urge the Board to recommend that the Commissioner of Labor develop an enforceable workplace violence standard.