FLOURTOWN, PA — In their latest push to make it a federal crime to assault a hospital staff member on the job, the nurses at Montgomery County’s Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates are nationally releasing the public service announcement Protect Our Nurses. The nurse-owned and nurse-run healthcare advocacy organization based in Flourtown is seeking to advance a bill that makes assaulting or intimidating nurses and their healthcare colleagues a federal offense, similar to protections for flight crews.
At the helm of the effort is Betty Long, MHA, RN, President, CEO, and Founder of Guardian Nurses, which has been recognized for its Mobile Care Coordinator? program, awarded by the American Academy of Nursing and recognized by Pennsylvania’s prestigious Nightingale Award for excellence in community nursing. “We need to shift the narrative,” Long says. “Violence in healthcare settings isn’t just part of the job. It shouldn’t be tolerated. It shouldn’t be downplayed by management. It’s a public health crisis — and we must treat it like one. We believe it’s time to turn outrage into action and demand the same protections for nurses that are already in place for flight crews and other public workers.”
Long travelled to Capitol Hill last June with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership to discuss the issue with legislators and testify before the U.S. Department of Labor on fighting insurance denials.
Currently, bipartisan legislation called “The Save Healthcare Workers Act” is with the House Judiciary Committee after being introduced last May by Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01) as well as U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). The goal is to advance this legislation onto the House floor. Additional info is here.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers in other industries. Nearly half of all nurses report experiencing physical violence, and 68% have faced verbal abuse. The emotional toll is devastating, with many reporting anxiety (85%), depression (60%), and burnout (81%), per the CDC’s 2023 Vital Signs report.
Since last spring, additional elements in this multi-channel initiative have called for federal legislation and greater public awareness to protect the professionals who ably care for us when we are most vulnerable:
- Change.org Petition at ProtectOurNurses.com urging Congress to pass a bill that would make it a federal crime to assault or intimidate healthcare workers
- Digital Billboards in high-traffic locations across Greater Philadelphia and other regions where Guardian Nurses operates
- Social Media Campaign with the message: Nurses show up for us. It’s time we show up for them.
- Email Outreach to Guardian Nurses partners, clients and healthcare professionals
- Pop-Up Banner on guardiannurses.com , encouraging immediate action and engagement
Supporters can sign the petition at ProtectOurNurses.com or visit guardiannurses.com for more information.
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