Today, Rhode Island Hospital leadership called for community support in stopping violence against healthcare professionals in the workplace, following the assault of a registered nurse at the hospital on September 8th. The campaign, #ScottStrong, Keep Healthcare Workers Safe, asks the public to sign a pledge to help keep healthcare environments safe and advocate for protections for healthcare workers.
"We were deeply saddened and angered by the assault on Scott, one of our dedicated nurses,” said Dean Roye, MD Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Rhode Island Hospital. “That’s why, with the support of Scott’s family, we are launching this campaign to solicit the public’s help in ending violence against healthcare workers.”
Healthcare workers play a vital role in providing care and support to patients. However, they are increasingly subject to threats, abuse, and violent behavior on the job. The prevalence of workplace violence in healthcare settings is higher than in most other professions:
- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers have highest rates of workplace violence injuries – they are five times more likely to be injured than other workers.
- According to 2023 a national healthcare survey by Premier, 40% of healthcare workers have experienced at least one incident of workplace violence within the past two years.
“Healthcare professionals’ role is providing comfort and healing to the sick and injured. They are invaluable to our community and deserve to be able to safely care for their patients at all times,” said Cynthia Danner, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Rhode Island Hospital. "With everyone’s support, we can ensure a peaceful environment for medical professionals to provide care and help patients heal."
To address this issue, Rhode Island Hospital is calling on the public and everyone who enters their facilities to take the pledge to keep healthcare workers safe and support #ScottStrong. The pledge, available at http://www.scottstrong.org urges individuals to commit to creating a safe and respectful environment for healthcare workers, patients, families, and visitors.
For more information on the campaign and to take the pledge, please visit www.scottstrong.org.