[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 8, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING KENTUCKY NURSES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ANNE M. NORTHUP

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 8, 2001

  Mrs. NORTHUP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the thousands of men 
and women in Kentucky who have dedicated themselves to that most noble 
of endeavors: nursing. Every day, nurses--both in Kentucky and across 
the nation--sacrifice themselves to the causes of caring, of healing, 
and of loving. By tending to the sick and easing suffering, nurses play 
a tremendously vital role in the medical profession and our society at 
large.
  We can all recall a time when a nurse became a crucial figure in our 
lives. When any one of us has been ill or trying to care for a sick 
loved one, nurses have always been there to provide help. Whether in a 
strictly medical capacity--mending a bone or administering medicines--
or to offer reassurance, a shoulder to cry on, or an anchor of calm in 
the chaos and upheaval that we all know illness can cause, it seems 
that nurses perform a thousand and one duties to ensure that pain and 
suffering are washed away.
  Since time immemorial, nurses have been on the front lines of the 
fight against sickness, but today that fight grows harder. Newly 
discovered illnesses, an increasing population, and an explosion in the 
demand for emergency care have all come together to force nurses to 
assume more and more responsibilities, while, at the same time, they 
must continue to strive to gain ground in the war against suffering. I 
understand these issues, and want to give my thanks to nurses across 
America for maintaining the same unflagging generosity that has 
characterized the profession in the past. During National Nurses Week 
this May, I want to especially recognize Kentucky Nurses, those men and 
women who, day after day, give of themselves to so many people in the 
Bluegrass State. I hope you will join me in honoring nurses for their 
commitment to helping others feel better.

                          ____________________