Changing the Culture: How I Helped Reframe “End Nurse Abuse” Into a National Brand for Workplace Safety

For decades, workplace violence was seen as “part of the job” in nursing. The End Nurse Abuse campaign challenged that mindset and transformed it into a national movement for change. I led the brand strategy and creative direction that repositioned the issue from a tolerated workplace hazard to an urgent public health and policy priority—mobilizing nurses, legislators, and the public to stand together against violence in healthcare settings.

Through unified messaging, video storytelling, and multi-channel engagement, the campaign became one of the American Nurses Association’s most impactful advocacy efforts—earning multiple Ragan Awards, generating 25,000 congressional petitions, 30,000 text pledges, 25,000 video views on YouTube, and $150,000 in product sales, while redefining how the nursing profession views safety, respect, and accountability.

CHALLENGE

Despite growing reports of verbal and physical assaults, workplace violence in healthcare remained largely normalized. According to a Press Ganey Survey Report, two nurses per hour are assaulted in the acute care setting. Many nurses accepted these experiences as an unavoidable part of the profession. The challenge was to shift that perception—transforming End Nurse Abuse from a message of resistance into a unifying call for reform, empathy, and respect.

ROLE: Brand Strategy, Creative Direction, and Integrated Campaign Management

I directed the End Nurse Abuse brand initiative from concept to execution, weaving together advocacy, storytelling, and design into a cohesive national identity that inspired both emotional connection and measurable action.

Key initiatives included:

• Developing a powerful brand narrative and visual identity that reframed nurse abuse as a public health crisis, not a workplace inevitability.

• Producing an award-winning video storytelling series that captured real nurse experiences and earned multiple Ragan Awards, including Best Nonprofit Video and Best Healthcare Video.

• Leading a digital and grassroots engagement campaign that drove 25,000 petitions to Congress and 30,000 text pledges from nurses and supporters nationwide. These efforts included multiple blog posts, infographics, influencer marketing by expert nurses.

• Partnering with ANA’s merchandising and communications teams to align $150,000 in campaign product sales with brand visibility and advocacy goals.

RESULTS

• 25,000 congressional petitions supporting workplace violence prevention legislation.

• 30,000 text pledges showing solidarity with nurses across the country.

• $150,000 in branded merchandise sales reinvested into advocacy efforts.

• 25,000 YouTube Video Views

• Multiple Ragan Awards for nonprofit and healthcare video storytelling.

• A national shift in perception—reframing workplace violence from “part of the job” to part of the problem.

OUTCOME

The End Nurse Abuse campaign proved that purpose-driven branding can create measurable impact and cultural change. By fusing brand strategy with advocacy, I helped redefine a long-overlooked issue into a national conversation on dignity and safety in healthcare. The campaign became more than a movement—it became a mindset shift that continues to influence policy, awareness, and professional culture nationwide.

Learn more about this very critical program>>