RFT attended the annual American Organization of Nursing Leadership (AONL) conference this past month in Chicago to showcase our hospital-wide staff protection solutions and to also listen to and learn about the challenges nurses are facing today.

We had conversations with nurses and healthcare leaders at our booth, attended sessions on workplace violence, interviewed conference attendees on camera, and surveyed nurses about their most pressing concerns today.

What we discovered are recurring themes which surfaced across geographic areas and roles, and mirror what has been happening in the news since the AONL 25 conference last year.

Bottom line is while nurses are strong and compassionate people, they are feeling stretched, in some cases, to their limits.  Some of the largest nursing strikes in history occurred since the last AONL including 15,000 New York State Nursing Association (NYSNA) nurses at major New York City hospitals, and approximately 31,000 nurses and healthcare professionals across California and Hawaii striking as well over issues including staff levels, wages, and workplace violence.

Sadly, violent incidents inside hospitals in 2025 drove widespread media coverage and renewed urgency around nurse safety including a mass shooting in a Pennsylvania hospital which left one police officer dead and led the American Nursing Association to call “upon Congress to introduce legislation for OSHA to establish a workplace violence prevention standard within one year”.

Importantly, a landmark 2026 American Hospital Association study found the cost of workplace violence in 2023 at a staggering $18.2 billion dollars, mostly to treat post-event healthcare expenses from violent injuries.

What are this year’s AONL nurses and attendees we talked to saying about the state of nursing?…

1. Workplace safety is described as a primary, moral, and professional responsibility of nurse leaders.

• • Safety is not ancillary, it is foundational to leadership.

2. Nearly every leader shared direct or indirect experience with violence, but many described being personally assaulted.

• • Violence is frequent and normalized in healthcare settings.

3. A strong rejection of blaming nurses for violent incidents.

• • Nurses are doing their jobs and should not be questioned or blamed for violent incidents while at work.

4. Nurses are often alone with patients, physically close, and exposed to unpredictable behavior.

• • Violence often occurs with confused, mental health, or substance-involved patients.

5. The most effective leaders stay close to staff and listen.

• • Leaders must round, be visible, and solicit real feedback.

6. No single solution works—layers of protection are required.

• • Security teams, response protocols, environmental controls, and technology must work together.

7. Personal safety devices are viewed as reassuring, practical, and necessary.

• • Devices help staff feel safer and less alone.

8. Nurse leaders see themselves as advocates who must escalate concerns.

• • Leaders must “speak up” and push issues upward.

It’s not all bad news though!  We attended many sessions at AONL and it was encouraging to learn about several emerging strategies, including structured workplace violence programs delivered to nurses on a quarterly basis and advanced training focused on early identification and de-escalation techniques. Although workplace violence remains a national crisis, the momentum for change is clearly building, and healthcare leaders are actively engaged in creating safer environments, reinforcing the belief that our nurses deserve the strongest support and protections available. 

Neha Singh, Clinical Nurse Manager at RFT said: “At AONL, I gained valuable insights from a variety of workshops, with workplace violence (WPV) emerging as the number one topic of discussion. Nurse leaders from across the country emphasized the urgent need for advanced, proactive, and robust interventions to protect the safety of healthcare workers.”

At RFT, we turn conversations into action by listening to nurse leaders and partnering with our hospital customers to help explain to nurses and staff how their employer is taking their safety seriously and helping protect and empower them with discreet Help Alert® staff duress badges and pendants with panic buttons.

We invite you to continue the conversation and send us your feedback as well.  Take our Nurse Safety survey here.