WA lawmakers hear bill to make nurses eligible for PTSD workers comp
Published by NORTHWEST NEWS RADIO on 3/17/23 (Source)
A bill to allow nurses to receive workers’ compensation for job-related post-traumatic stress disorder is now being considered by a State House committee.
Labor and Industries rules would be changed under Senate Bill 5454 to make it easier for direct care registered nurses who suffer from PTSD to get the help they need.
Katharine Weiss with the Washington State Nurses Association says they shouldn’t have to fight to get help for trauma. Weiss says, “It allows nurses to seek workers’ compensation for more than just one specific incident. Under this bill, a nurse can get help for the mental impacts for regularly dealing with sick patients, workplace violence and having to do their job with fewer and fewer resources.