HAP’s Nurse Ambassadors Bring their Stories to Harrisburg

Growing the workforce, addressing workplace violence are key advocacy priorities

March 26, 2025

HAP’s Nurse Ambassadors arrived at the state Capitol today with a shared passion for their communities and a central theme for their advocacy:

A strong commonwealth starts with strong hospitals.

This morning, leaders from HAP’s Nurse Ambassador Program visited with nearly 50 lawmakers and staff to discuss the ways they can support hospitals, their teams, and access to care.

We're proud to help facilitate this initiative and thankful for this partnership across Pennsylvania's hospital community.

Below are a few highlights from an exciting day of advocacy:

1. Growing the workforce is a shared priority

The issue: Pennsylvania faces workforce shortages that threaten access to care. The state will need to add almost 9,000 more registered nurses and more than 11,000 additional nursing assistants each year to meet the growing demand for health care.

Our message: Pennsylvania’s hospitals are innovators when it comes to recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse health care workforce. They are fostering community partnerships with educators; offering tuition reimbursement; childcare; pay increases; flexible scheduling; and other support for their teams.

Advocacy in action: Lawmakers should prioritize initiatives that strengthen our workforce, such as:

• Investing in nursing programs to hire additional faculty, upgrade facilities, expand lab capacity, and strengthen clinical training opportunities.
• Funding scholarships and loan forgiveness, investing in health care education programs, and increasing educators.
• Empowering providers to practice at the top of their license, investing in wellness and safety, and enabling technology that supports clinicians.
• Expanding career pathways that grow and diversify the workforce, such as incentivizing clinicians to practice in underserved communities, and increasing J1 visas.

2. Violence against health care workers is a growing crisis

The issue: Pennsylvania’s health care professionals dedicate their lives to caring for others but face alarming rates of violence at work.

Our message: Pennsylvania hospitals are implementing tailored strategies to prevent violence, enhance security, and protect staff. Nearly all hospitals are providing staff education on safety protocols; promoting respectful behavior through workplace initiatives; offering de-escalation training; and have enhanced security measures in place.

Advocacy in action: HAP and our nurse leaders are urging lawmakers to focus on support for real solutions that will protect our teams. In a letter Monday, HAP wrote on behalf of the hospital community to oppose a bill that would create new mandates for hospitals without addressing the underlying issues that lead to violence in the workplace.

Instead, lawmakers can support the safety of the workforce efforts by:

• Working with the hospital community on short- and long-term strategies to reduce violence.
• Supporting House Bill 812, which provides critical and flexible funding to support hospitals in strengthening security and prevention efforts.

3. Strong advocacy supports access to care

The issue: State lawmakers continue to report that hearing directly from the hospital community is paramount to inform their votes on important issues like workforce, hospital regulations, and investments to support access to care.

Our message: HAP is thankful for your shared partnership to ensure lawmakers understand your needs across the commonwealth.

Background:The HAP Nurse Ambassador Program empowers nurse leaders to educate state and congressional lawmakers about issues impacting hospital teams and patients—including addressing the nursing shortage, preventing workplace violence, and supporting staff wellbeing.

For questions, contact Arielle Chortanoff, vice president, state advocacy, or Sarah Lawver, senior director, state advocacy.

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Deb Raupers, MSN, RN, executive vice president and chief nurse executive, Guthrie Clinic, talks about why she is advocating for her team and patients.

 

 

Andrew L. Thum, DNP, ML, RN, NE-BC, director of nursing operations, Jefferson Health, shares why he uses his voice to advocate as a HAP nurse ambassador.