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Workplace violence against nurses is a significant global occupational health problem, with incidents of violence increasing in frequency since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In this article, we provide a review of recent legislative amendments meant to bolster workplace safety in health care in Canada, analyze legal cases where nurses were the victims of violence, and discuss what these legal reforms and decisions reveal about how nurses' work is treated within the Canadian legal system. Under criminal law, the limited number of cases we could find with oral or written sentencing decisions show that, historically, the fact a victim was a nurse was not always considered an aggravating factor on sentencing. Recent legislative amendments make this a specified aggravating factor and it is important to track the impact of these amendments when judges exercise their discretion in sentencing. Under employment law, it appears that, despite the government's efforts to increase the deterrence factor under legislation with significantly increased fines for employers who fail to protect their employees from injury, courts remain reluctant to impose such sanctions. In these cases, it is also important to track the impact of harsher penalties. We conclude that combating the widespread normalization of workplace violence in health care, and specifically against nurses, is acutely needed to help ensure that these ongoing legal reforms aimed at improving the safety of health workers are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the drivers of nurses' poor health and the implications for quality of care are important in sustaining a healthy workforce, stimulating professional nursing practice, and ensuring healthy lives while promoting the wellbeing of nurses of all ages. Previous scholarship has identified factors influencing nurses' wellbeing, but have neglected to take a comprehensive approach to assessing the multiple dimensions of nurses' wellbeing and their collective, syndemic effects. Neither have these studies explored the context within which these experiences occur, or how these experiences differ for nurses with multiple marginalized identities in spite of an increasingly diverse workforce. Using the six dimensions of wellness framework, we examined the distinct and interrelated dimensions of nurses' wellbeing that were either enhanced or aggravated by professional practice and how it changed by nurses' race and ethnicity using their situated experiences. The study was conducted using a qualitative research design, which drew on phenomenology and in-depth interviews with Registered and Practical Nurses (n = 70) in two Canadian cities. Of the six dimensions of wellbeing identified, direct care practice enhanced nurses' occupational, intellectual, and spiritual wellbeing, but worsened their physical, emotional and social health. A health gap was found along racial lines, as ethnic minority nurses reported more detrimental effects of direct care nursing on their physical, emotional, occupational, and social wellbeing than their white counterparts. Nurses resorted to institutional structures, social and emotional support from supervisors, coworkers and family members, and engaged in spiritual activities to cope with these adverse health effects. These findings highlight the utility of an adaptable framework in identifying the multiple dimensions and gaps in nurses' wellbeing. Furthermore, our findings echo the urgent need for workplace and safety policies that address issues of diversity and make the work environment safe, equitable and promote nurse productivity and quality care. • Direct care practice enhanced nurses' intellectual and occupational wellbeing. • Direct care practice worsened nurses' physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. • A health gap was found between white and ethnic minorities in direct care practice. • Institutional, social and emotional support systems are key health coping strategies. • An equitable work environment promotes nurses' wellbeing and patient quality care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]