Nurses call on university to address violence following gun incident

Following a December 2024 incident involving a patient with a firearm who threatened to shoot staff members in the emergency room, nurses with The Ohio State University Nurses Organization have filed a complaint with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation over the hospital system’s failure to adequately address workplace violence affecting nurses and health professionals, the Ohio Nurses Association announced Tuesday.

The complaint was filed with Ohio BWC’s Public Employment Risk Reduction Program, which enforces workplace safety standards for public employers to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses.

This complaint follows the issuance of a hazard letter to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center by BWC in November 2023, which outlined specific areas requiring improvement to protect staff, including the emergency department.

The complaint calls for “effective safety protocols, adequate resources such as security personnel, and tools like early weapons screening are essential to creating a secure environment,” the association said in a statement.