[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 719 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 719

     Thanking and promoting the professions of perinatal nurses by 
    encouraging participation in ``National Perinatal Nurses Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 12, 2021

    Ms. Roybal-Allard submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Thanking and promoting the professions of perinatal nurses by 
    encouraging participation in ``National Perinatal Nurses Week''.

Whereas perinatal nurses work with patients who are attempting to become 
        pregnant, are currently pregnant, or have recently delivered;
Whereas perinatal nurses provide prenatal care and testing, care of patients 
        experiencing pregnancy complications, care during labor and delivery, 
        and care of patients following delivery;
Whereas perinatal nursing includes labor and delivery nurses, mother-baby 
        nurses, and neonatal nurses;
Whereas continuous support during labor from a registered nurse is critical to 
        achieve improved birth outcomes;
Whereas there has been a persistent shortage of nurses across all fields, while 
        demand continues to grow;
Whereas mothers are dying in the United States at the highest rate in the 
        developed world, and the crisis is most severe for Black mothers;
Whereas nurses are positioned to provide unique insight into patient care 
        circumstances that may contribute to women's deaths, thereby reducing 
        the rate of and disparity in maternal mortality;
Whereas October, the 10th month of the year, was chosen to celebrate ``National 
        Perinatal Nurses Week'' to represent an Apgar score of 10;
Whereas Apgar is the point system used to evaluate the health of a newborn baby, 
        with 10 representing the healthiest possible score for a baby, and this 
        score is assigned and recorded by the perinatal nurse attending the 
        birth;
Whereas the 10th day of the month of October was chosen to begin ``National 
        Perinatal Nurses Week'' to represent 10 centimeters dilated, the 
        measurement used to evaluate a woman's progress in labor;
Whereas 10 centimeters dilated constitutes complete cervical dilation, the 
        successful completion of the first phase of labor when a woman is ready 
        to deliver her baby, and this progress is supported and recorded by the 
        perinatal nurse attending the birth; and
Whereas the week of October 10, 2021, through October 16, 2021, is set aside to 
        celebrate ``National Perinatal Nurses Week'' to raise public awareness 
        of and celebrate the 350,000 perinatal nurses who are clinically active 
        in hospitals, perinatal facilities, and health centers: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives thanks and promotes the 
professions of perinatal nurses by encouraging patients, hospital 
administrators, health care professionals, policymakers, and others to 
become more familiar with the contributions of perinatal nurses by 
participating in ``National Perinatal Nurses Week''.
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