[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 55 (Monday, May 6, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S3898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING AMERICA'S NURSES

 Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I rise today in recognition of 
the women and men across the Nation who daily stand on the front lines 
of the health care profession. This week, May 6 through May 12, we 
celebrate National Nurses Week in their honor. Through their service to 
the patients and communities for whom they care, nurses continue to 
deliver health care despite the unprecedented difficulties they face. 
It is a testament to their sustained professionalism and genuine 
compassion that, regardless of these challenges, America's nurses are 
still the first to respond to the everyday tragedies and the first to 
be prepared for the extraordinary ones.
  America's population is not only growing larger, it is growing older 
and the implications of these demographic trends are severe for the 
health care delivery system. The nursing workforce, in both the private 
and public sectors, is challenged by personnel shortages as nurse 
recruitment and retention becomes more problematic. Cutbacks in 
Medicare reimbursements have exacerbated the situation, and our rural 
and elderly communities have suffered from the inaccessibility of care 
as a result. The Department of Veterans Affairs is particularly 
affected by this situation as the aging veteran community becomes 
increasingly more care-dependent. The Health Resources and Services 
Administration released a study in February of 2001 describing the 
plight of registered nurses in the United States and recommending that 
significant steps be taken to preserve the nation's supply of nurses.
  To this end, I am proud to be a cosponsor of legislation, put forth 
by Senator Hutchinson, that addresses these issues and offers genuine 
solutions to the problems underlying the nursing profession's shortage. 
Portions of this bill were incorporated into legislation that the 
Senate passed in December, and the House of Representatives has acted 
favorably on a bill to boost nurse employment as well. I am hopeful 
that the differences between the two chambers' bills can be reconciled 
and that a final measure can be soon sent to the President for his 
signature. Enactment of the proposed nursing legislation would initiate 
new approaches to retaining and recruiting highly qualified individuals 
in this field of health care. Among these approaches would be expanding 
nurse-loan repayment and scholarship programs, career ladder and 
faculty development opportunities, and multi-media campaigns to 
encourage Americans to consider nursing as a career choice. Preserving 
and promoting the nursing workforce is imperative if we are to maintain 
our country's ability to deliver first-class medical care.
  Nurses, and the indispensable position they serve in medicine, are 
near and dear to me; theirs is a commitment to health care I have 
witnessed throughout my life, my mother, sister and wife all have 
nursing backgrounds, and mine is a keen appreciation for the 
profession. Nurses deserve our appreciation and support, particularly 
as they weather the administrative difficulties of their practice. I 
invite my Senate colleagues to join me in thanking America's nurses 
today for the vital role they play as the healers and caretakers of our 
Nation.

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