WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — After a nurse was severely attacked last week at a Palm Beach County hospital, health care workers and their families came together Sunday to spotlight the urgent need for better workplace safety.
WPTV spoke with the workers to capture their concerns and the solidarity they are expressing for their colleague.
The gathering was filled with song and emotion as participants shared in a collective spirit of support.
"We're here to offer our support so (the injured nurse) can heal, as well as her family and our nursing community," Bonnet Webb, a nurse who attended the event, said.
Hundreds of people came together in Palm Beach County to rally for the injured nurse, who the sheriff's office said was brutally beaten by a patient at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital last Tuesday.
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Investigators said the brutal attack caused severe injuries, shattering nearly every bone in the nurse's face. In response to this tragic news, Sunday's rally was organized within a matter of days.
"I'm just overwhelmed," Meghan Marks expressed. "We're taking a horrific situation and standing by her family."
Health care workers are urgently calling for safer working conditions.
"We're all at risk, and we do our best to remain safe in our work environment," Christal Morello noted.
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The injured nurse's family was present at the rally, and they voiced their heartfelt appreciation for the community's overwhelming support for their loved one while she remains hospitalized.
"They needed the prayers and to witness the support from everyone," Morello added. "She's a nurse, and we are all part of this nursing community."
The suspect in the attack, Stephen Scantlebury, 33, of Wellington faces charges of attempted second-degree murder, with a hate crime enhancement.
Everyone who attended the rally on Sunday committed to following the case closely and to continue to show their support for the victim and her family.
