Guardian Nurses, a nurse-owned patient advocacy services company in Flourtown, is facing a surprising challenge: the lack of applicants for its $5,000 Entrepreneurial Award, writes John George for the Philadelphia Business Journal.  

This award, aimed at supporting nurses who are launching their own healthcare businesses, has found few takers over the past two years. 

Betty Long, the founder and CEO of Guardian Nurses, initiated the award to foster entrepreneurial spirit among nurses.  

The award targets founders of new healthcare businesses, including those offering patient care, nursing education, or developing healthcare products. 

Despite promoting the award at various conferences and gatherings, the response has been underwhelming.  

In 2022, there were no applications, a situation Long attributes to the strains of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare workers. 

 Last year, the sole application received was from a business that had been operational for ten years, rendering it ineligible. 

Guardian Nurses, established in 2003, has grown from a one-nurse operation to a team of 58, providing in-person advocacy and innovative programs like the Mobile Care Coordinator, which earned an American Academy of Nursing award last year.  

Long remains hopeful that the award will soon find deserving recipients.

Read more about the entrepreneurial award from Guardian Nurses in the Philadelphia Business Journal.  

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