Washington HB 1931 – Concerning Workplace Violence in Health Care Settings

Washington HB 1931, concerning workplace violence in health care settings, was adopted and signed into law by the governor on May 21, 2019 and becomes effective on January 1, 2020. Summary as follows:

• Washington House Bill 1931 amends a pre-existing statute.

• The pre-existing statute holds that “health care setting” encompasses:
  • (a) Hospitals;
  • (b) Home health, hospice, and home care agencies;
  • (c) Evaluation and treatment facilities; and
  • (d) Behavioral health programs.

• Washington House Bill 1931 expands the definition of “health care setting” with the addition of ambulatory surgical facilities.

• The pre-existing statute holds that each health care setting shall provide violence prevention training to all applicable employees. The bill expands upon this by holding that in addition to employees, volunteers and contracted security personal must now also receive training.

• The pre-existing statute held that the training had to address the following topics:
  • General safety procedures;
  • The violence escalation cycle;
  • De-escalation techniques to minimize violent behavior;
  • Strategies to prevent physical harm with hands-on practice or role-play;
  • Documentation and reporting incidents;
  • The debrief process for affected employees following violent acts; and
  • Resources available to employees for coping with the effects of violence.

• Washington HB 1931 expands upon required training topics by adding:
  • The health care setting's workplace violence prevention plan;
  • Violence predicting behaviors and factors;
  • Response team processes; and
  • Proper application and use of restraints, both physical and chemical restraints.

CPI Training Can Help Your Hospital Comply With Washington House Bill 1931

CPI offers training and resources to help health care facilities meet legislative mandates like the policy requirements set forth in the Washington House Bill 1931. Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® training equips staff with techniques for both the prevention of and the safe use of restraint. Our train-the-trainer program helps staff identify underlying causes of client behaviors, and how staff and client behaviors affect each other. The program also emphasizes:

• Evaluating risk of harm and signs of distress.
• Documenting incidents.
• Safer, less restrictive holding skills to be used only as a last resort.
• Behavioral supports.
• Implementing evidence-based practices.

How to Get Training
We can bring the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® training program on-site to your hospital, or you can attend training in one of more than 170 public locations throughout the US.

 
How Our Free CPI Alignment Can Give You Peace of Mind—and Help You Comply
For 30 years, CPI has supported healthcare organizations that strive to provide the safest environment for staff, patients and visitors. One of the ways CPI goes the extra mile to help healthcare facilities ensure that they comply with new and existing legislation is to have our legal department compose and publish Alignment documents that help administrators and their legal advisors compare an inventory of what specific legislation requires of them and how CPI training can ensure they comply.  
 
Our Alignment for Washington HB 1931 is designed to assist you identify the ways in which CPI’s Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® training program can help tiy fulfill the requirements of the bill. 
 
More Resources
Get helpful hints for crisis intervention and learn about CPI training and restraint reduction.