Welcome to Beyond the Bedside, hosted by Betty Long, RN, Founder & CEO of Guardian Nurses (https://www.guardiannurses.com), and Nurse Advocate Rebecca Czarkowski, BSN, RN.

In this first episode, we talk openly about the alarming rise in violence against nurses, from emergency rooms to med-surg floors and outpatient settings. Every 25 minutes, a nurse in the U.S. is assaulted — physically or verbally — and many incidents go unreported.

We share real stories, personal experiences, and discuss why nurses are being put at risk, how the culture of incivility impacts patient care, and what needs to change — from hospital leadership to federal legislation currently stalled in Congress.

This conversation is for:

Support the Protect Our Nurses initiative: Sign the petition: https://protectournurses.com 

Jim Walsh got a new lease on life thanks to his incredible care team and the fantastic generosity of his son, Greg, who bravely donated part of his liver. It’s a happy story from beginning to end.

This week, we talk to Emily Koval, whose harrowing journey through the healthcare system could have been much less frightening with clearer communication at every level.

When Miriam Rivkin went to the hospital with a detached retina, they discovered another, more urgent problem. Then, failures in communication and chaos in the ER made a bad situation even more frightening. test

When the prescribed therapies to treat Lexi Livanos’ debilitating migraines were no longer effective, her doctors dismissed her concerns. Then, with the help of a nurse advocate and a second opinion, she got her voice and her life back.

In the final episode of Season 8, Patricia Long tells us about the ups and downs of her knee replacement journey and offers advice for those getting ready for the surgery.

Guardian Nurses’ Andrea Spector, RN, MSN, is back on the podcast, this time as a patient! She discusses her recent diagnosis of Type 1.5 diabetes, a “new” variety of the disease that has elements of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

The resilient Crystal Chuck shares what it’s like to be among the 1 in 5 cancer survivors who face a new, different type of cancer later in life.

Leston Hall shares his inspiring story of receiving a life-saving heart and kidney transplant after complications from COVID-19.