Suffering 21 stab wounds and a broken rib, emergency nurse Edith Castro-Rivera attended the rally, describing Tuesday's attack as like being "trapped in a bad dream".
Ms Castro-Rivera was punched in the face and stabbed by a male patient armed with a butter knife.
Nurses want a full-time security guard in the emergency department. Health Minister Jillian Skinner has agreed to a guard from 10pm to 6am while a review of hospital security is conducted.
Sporting a black eye, stitches in both arms and bruises all over, Ms Castro-Rivera said: "I'm still in shock ... I never thought this would happen to me, you don't expect it to happen to anyone."
Her attack came after colleague Robyn Humphreys was assaulted by a patient in October last year.
Shane Keevil, 39, was due to attend Penrith Local Court on Friday morning to face charges related to an incident at Blacktown Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
Keevil is charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm.
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But Magistrate Annette Sinclair said Keevil was still an in-patient at Blacktown Hospital and was unable to attend the court.
His matter would be heard at a beside hearing later on Friday, Ms Sinclair said.
A nurse, named by media as Edith Castro-Rivera, was working at a computer in the emergency ward of Blacktown Hospital when a man punched her in the face and stabbed her several times with a butter knife.
Nurses at the hospital will hold a stop-work protest in Blacktown on Friday to press for increased security at the hospital.
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