On June 3, 2025, Guardian Nurses’ Founder, President, and CEO, Betty Long, MHA, RN, and a dedicated team from Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates traveled to Capitol Hill to advocate for critical federal protections for healthcare workers. The visit is part of Guardian Nurses’ ongoing national campaign to combat the epidemic of workplace violence in hospitals and to support H.R. 3178, the bipartisan Save Healthcare Workers Act.
The proposed legislation, introduced on May 5, 2025, by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01), seeks to make it a federal crime to knowingly and intentionally assault hospital employees. The bill mirrors existing protections for airline and airport personnel and aims to deter violent incidents that continue to plague healthcare settings across the country.
“Nurses show up for patients every day—often in extraordinarily difficult circumstances,” says Long. “It’s time for our lawmakers to show up for nurses. Violence against healthcare workers cannot continue to be an acceptable risk of doing their jobs.”
Joining Long on the Hill were Guardian Nurses team members Rebecca Rivkin-Czarkowski, MPH, BSN, RN; Lori Rivkin, BSN, RN; Monica Nash, BSN, RN; Jessica Rudi, BSN, RN; and Joe McLaughlin, RN, CCM. Together, they met with lawmakers and legislative staff including Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), Senator Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and other Congressional offices to emphasize the urgent need for federal protections.
“We extend special thanks to Representative Madeleine Dean for her leadership and for co-sponsoring H.R. 3178,” explains Long. “A longtime champion for nurses, Rep. Dean has supported healthcare workers both during her time in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and now as a member of Congress.”
The Capitol Hill advocacy event was held in conjunction with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s annual #AONLAdvocacyDay, amplifying the collective voice of healthcare leaders across the nation.
Ongoing Campaign for Change
Guardian Nurses has launched a multi-pronged national campaign that includes:
- A public petition with over 1,300 signatures and growing: http://protectournurses.com
- Outdoor billboards raising awareness of nurse assault statistics
- A robust social media initiative to encourage public support and educate Americans on the alarming rise in workplace violence
The statistics are sobering:
- A nurse is assaulted every 25 minutes (Press Ganey, 2022).
- Healthcare workers are five times more likely to face workplace violence than workers in other sectors.
- Nearly half of all nurses report physical assaults; 68% experience verbal abuse.
- The psychological toll is immense, with 85% of healthcare workers reporting anxiety and 81% experiencing burnout.
Join the Movement
Violence against nurses is not just a workplace issue—it’s a public health crisis. Guardian Nurses is calling on individuals across the country to stand up for the professionals who care for us in our most vulnerable moments.
Supporters can sign the petition and find additional campaign materials at ProtectOurNurses.com or visit guardiannurses.com for more information.