[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 59 (Thursday, May 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    NATIONAL NURSES WEEK 2001: NURSES ARE THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CARING

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                         HON. CAROLYN McCARTHY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 3, 2001

  Mrs. McCARTHY OF NEW YORK. Mr. Speaker, National Nurses Week is an 
established recognition event created to honor the nurses who give care 
to millions of patients daily. It is celebrated every year beginning 
May 6 and ending May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. The theme for 
Nurses Week 2001 is ``Nurses are the True Spirit of Caring,'' which is 
incredibly appropriate given the role nurses play in the medical 
community.
  As a nurse, I am lucky to be part of such a caring group of 
professionals. I think that many people used to look at nursing as if 
it was a ``runner-up'' profession. As if those who became nurses were 
the ones who couldn't ``cut it'' as doctors. Today we know that is not 
the case. Nursing care is just as important as physician care, and I 
feel like the American public finally recognizes is as such.
  Yet nurses have another battle on their hands: the fight to become a 
financially competitive profession. A prominent national issue is the 
growing nursing shortage. There are various new career options for 
healthcare professionals today, prompting nurses to gradually move away 
from patient care and into fields with better pay, benefits and hours, 
and often less stress.
  It is vital for the health of this nation that nursing field continue 
attracting experienced and educated candidates. In this day and age, 
positive recognition needs to be coupled with competitive salaries and 
benefits. That is why I have cosponsored H.R. 1436, the Nurse 
Reinvestment Act of 2001. This legislation amends the Public Health 
Service Act, the Social Security Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to alleviate the nursing profession shortage.
  Being a nurse takes heart. I think the last line of the Florence 
Nightingale pledge says it best: ``With loyalty will I . . . devote 
myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.'' It's a tough 
job, day in and day out, one that requires attention to others before 
attention to oneself. Whether you work in a hospital emergency room, a 
free inner-city clinic, or a small-town doctor's office, there is 
always one common bond: the commitment to provide the best possible 
care for your patients. Nurses are there to help the sick get better 
and to make sure the healthy stay that way.
  Every month, I honor someone as Citizen of the Month for the Fourth 
Congressional District. This month, May 2001, I name all the nurses in 
Nassau County as Citizens of the Month. Representing Nassau nurses is 
Fran Heslin of Nassau University Medical Center.
  Fran has been a valued member of the surgical intensive care unit 
since her graduation from Nassau Community College in 1985 with a 
degree in Nursing. She is an excellent example of the competency, care 
and respect exuded by nurses. Fran is married to William Helsin, and 
they have three children, Tara, Ryan and Erin. I congratulate Fran and 
her family, and all of Nassau's nurses on being named Citizens of the 
Month.

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