TOWSON, Md — When traveling throughout Maryland, you may see billboards, posters, or ads on the sides of buses that say "Care flows both ways."

It's part of a new campaign by the Maryland Patient Safety Center to combat violence against nurses and healthcare staff.

"Back in 2022 the Maryland legislature recognized that healthcare workplace violence was a major problem," says Stephanie Peditto, CEO of Maryland Patient Safety Center.

So the state passed legislation that year to establish a public awareness campaign work group.

"Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violence than professionals another field. Three-fourths, or 75%, of all federally reported workplace assaults occurred in healthcare settings," says Peditto.

At the end of February, the Maryland Patient Safety Center launched this campaign, which includes testimony from Maryland healthcare professionals.

There are a few things the organization hopes the campaign will accomplish.

"We face a healthcare workforce shortage, and we're doing everything we can to address the healthcare workplace shortage, and when our healthcare workers hear about or potential healthcare workers hear about it affects our recruitment it affects our retention of really good healthcare workers," says Peditto.

Also, Stephanie Peditto says the organization hopes the campaign allows nurses and others to feel heard.

"And while this campaign is directed at you know patient and family members, it's also directed healthcare workers to say we see you," she says.

And to remind patients that healthcare workers are regular people.

"I hope the best outcome is the patients and families recognize the humanity of our healthcare workers, and I think a lot of the messaging of the campaign tries to bring home that these are people with families with hobby is that really here to try to help and support you as patient and family members," says Peditto.

In addition to facing those challenges, Peditto says she hopes feedback from the ads leads to more support.

"We're hoping that the increased awareness actually leads to more funding potential for this," says Peditto.

On the ItTakesPatients website which was created for the campaign. hospitals and other healthcare facilities can find resources and tools to use to help reduce violence in the workplace.