[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1261 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 1261

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                          May 12, 2010.
Whereas since 1990, National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also 
        known as National Recognition Day for Nurses, through May 12, the 
        birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing;
Whereas National Nurses Week is a time of year to reflect on the important 
        contributions that nurses make to provide safe, high-quality health 
        care;
Whereas nurses are known to be patient advocates, acting to protect the lives of 
        those under their care;
Whereas nurses represent the largest single component of the health care 
        profession with 3,100,000 jobs;
Whereas the work of nurses encompasses a wide scope of scientific inquiry 
        including clinical research, health systems and outcomes research, and 
        nursing education research;
Whereas nurses help inform and educate the public and Congress to improve the 
        recruitment, education, retention, and the practice of all nurses and, 
        more importantly, the health and safety of the patients they care for;
Whereas the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released final 
        survey data showing that enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate 
        programs in nursing rose by 3.6 percent in 2009, and though this marks 
        the ninth consecutive year of enrollment growth, the annual increase in 
        student capacity in 4-year nursing programs has declined sharply since 
        2003 when enrollment was up by 16.6 percent;
Whereas United States nursing programs were forced to reject almost 119,000 
        qualified applications to nursing programs according to the National 
        League for Nursing's most recent survey of all prelicensure nursing 
        programs;
Whereas according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered 
        nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster 
        than the average for all occupations;
Whereas according to new survey data by the AACN, enrollment in doctoral nursing 
        programs increased by more than 20 percent this year, signaling strong 
        interest among students in careers as nursing scientists, faculty, 
        primary care providers, and specialists;
Whereas according to the AACN, expanding capacity in baccalaureate and graduate 
        programs is critical to sustaining a healthy nursing workforce and 
        providing patients with the best care possible;
Whereas nursing colleges and universities across the country are struggling to 
        meet the rising demand for nurses; and
Whereas increased support is needed to enhance efforts to educate nursing 
        students at all levels, to increase the number of faculty members to 
        educate nursing students, and to create educational opportunities to 
        retain nurses in the profession: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, as 
        founded by the American Nurses Association; and
            (2) acknowledges the importance of quality higher education in 
        nursing, including baccalaureate and graduate programs and programs that 
        help expand the supply of nursing program faculty, to meet the needs of 
        one of the Nation's fastest growing labor fields.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.