To kick things off, nurses and hospital workers joined together in the Pittsburgh Hospital Workers March to demand immediate action to protect and support the frontline by addressing short staffing, low wages, and unsafe working conditions and respecting workers’ right to form a union.

The same day, in Wilkes-Barre, nurses from Geisinger Wyoming Medical Center held a Community Health Fair & Family Fun Day to spread info about the many public health services available to the Wilkes-Barre community and discussed the Patient Safety Act for safe staffing standards in PA’s hospitals with attendees.

Meanwhile, nurses everywhere were astounded to see UPMC has started saying the quiet part out loud, with a newsletter from a manager at UPMC Altoona admitting their approach to staffing is unsafe and threatening those who speak out.

In response, nurses in Altoona on Tuesday held a press conference calling on legislators to do whatever it takes to move the Patient Safety Act forward and put nurses in a position to provide quality care to their patients.

In Washington DC, nurses from across Pennsylvania and across the country came together at the National Nurses March to demand safe staffing laws, oppose caps on nurse wages, and action to end violence against healthcare workers. 

In State College, workers held a Job Fair & Luncheon for Nurses & Hospital Workers Week to celebrate healthcare workers in the region, provided space to apply for open positions and ask questions from current workers, and created opportunities to have conversations with the public about the Patient Safety Act.

And last but certainly not least, nurses from across Pennsylvania concluded their Nurses Week celebrations in Rep. Kathy Rapp’s hometown this weekend with a solemn funeral procession and memorial for patients that have been lost due to unsafe staffing. Rep. Rapp is the chair of the House Health Committee and has refused to advance the Patient Safety Act (HB 106) that would set safe staffing standards for nurses in hospitals.

“We’ve lost too many nurses and too many patients waiting for Kathy Rapp. She needs to live up to the promise she made and hold a hearing on the Patient Safety Act so we can have a vote. Patients need it and Pennsylvania is demanding it,” said Katrina Rectenwald, RN, an ICU nurse from Pittsburgh.