A group of nurses from Philadelphia are working to raise awareness about the increased violence that is occurring to nurses and healthcare workers.
Friday morning, dozens gathered at Saunders Park across the street from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center's emergency room and peacefully walked with signs in their hands demanding change to City Hall.
Some of their signs read, "1 in 4 nurses has been physically assaulted at work. That's not ok." and "I'm a nurse, not a punching bag."
This comes weeks after a hit-and-run crash that injured three nurses who were helping a gunshot victim outside of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
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In that incident, one nurse, a 36-year-old man, suffered facial injuries and internal bleeding. The second nurse, a 51-year-old man, suffered injuries to his head and back, while the third nurse, a 37-year-old man, suffered injuries to his legs.
"This is not the first act of violence toward our fellow nurses, nor will it be the last. We are calling on Nurses to action, to be united in making a stand against this culture of violence, to demand change," one of the walk organizers, Maria Lord, said in a statement to NBC10.
Lord adds, "Rhonda and I have worked in the Emergency Department, both at HUP and Presbyterian as Trauma Nurses; collectively we share 25+ years of experience. Unfortunately, we have both been assaulted on multiple occasions and witnessed many of our colleagues, throughout the years, be assaulted by patients and even their families."
After conducting this walk, they told NBC10 that the goal is to have Congress enact the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act and the Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act. Both would help ensure that nurses are protected and supported.
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"With the fresh acts of violence that we have seen, we want to continue to remind the public of how unsafe a workplace can be to the healthcare providers that continue to provide life-saving care to them and their families. We are not just talking about physical violence, but mental and sexual abuse as well," Lord explains.
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