SC Hospitals Launch “My Mommy Works Here” Campaign to Address Workplace Violence
PRESS RELEASE
Media Contact: Kyle Petersen
Phone: 803.744.3557
Email: kpetersen@scha.org
SC Hospitals Launch My Mommy Works Here Campaign to Address Workplace Violence
(Columbia, South Carolina – May 13, 2024) In response to a steady rise in hospital workplace violence nationwide, the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) is launching a communications campaign to educate the public on the cost of abusive behavior on both the healthcare workforce and the patients they serve.
As we transition from National Nurses Week to National Hospital Week alongside Mother’s Day, the “My Mommy Works Here” campaign will serve as a reminder to patients and visitors that that’s not just a nurse providing you care – that’s someone’s mother, father or friend.
SCHA is equipping hospitals with customizable resources, such as posters, social media content and policy templates, aimed at encouraging respectful behavior by patients and visitors. The communications resources convey two equally important messages:
- No-nonsense, zero tolerance statements that aggressive behavior may result in removal from the premises, jail time and fines, and
- Gentle reminders that caregivers are someone’s family member or best friend and should be treated with kindness.
Nationwide, healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than any other profession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls workplace violence a public health concern that contributes to staffing shortages, increased healthcare costs, and workforce burnout and turnover.
“Hospitals are working to enhance facility security and increase reporting and prosecution of incidents, but we need the public’s help in understanding the impact of violence on healthcare worker burnout and the potential danger to the quality of patient care and ability to deliver critical health services to the people of South Carolina,” said Schipp Ames, SCHA Vice President of Strategic Marketing & Communications. “These communications resources will give hospitals more tools to protect the people who are caring for all of us. Every day they go to work, South Carolina’s hospital workers make a commitment to Do No Harm. We need to make that same commitment to them.”
The communications campaign is part of a broader SCHA initiative to address hospital workplace violence that also includes advocacy for state support, incident data collection and analysis, educational programs, and sharing of hospital best practices. Learn more and access the communications tools at donoharmsc.com.
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About the South Carolina Hospital Association
SCHA is committed to making South Carolina one of the nation’s healthiest states by helping our hospitals and health systems provide the best care possible. We advocate for sound healthcare policies and legislation, facilitate collaboration to tackle problems that none of us could solve alone, find and share innovations and best practices, and provide data, education, and business solutions to help our members better serve their patients and communities. Together, we are leading South Carolina to a better state of health. Learn more about SCHA at www.scha.org.