[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 68 (Thursday, May 8, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5942-S5943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF NATIONAL NURSES WEEK 2003

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of National 
Nurses Week, celebrated this year from May 5 through May 12. Our annual 
tribute to the women and men who give comfort to the ill and injured 
across the country reminds us that nurses stand daily on the front 
lines of the health care profession. This year, however, we should also 
be reminded of the brave nursing professionals who serve on and behind 
the front lines of battle: America's military nurses. With our campaign 
in Iraq coming to a close, it is fitting to honor the patriots who mend 
and support our Armed Forces in the field, in addition to those who 
keep us healthy at home.
  The first official military nurse corps in the United States was 
established in the Army at the turn of the last century. American 
women, however, had served as combat nurses in every major conflict 
since the Revolutionary War and, until the creation of the Army Nurse 
Corps, did so without recognition and as volunteers. In grade school we 
learned the story of Clara Barton and the gracious care she gave to 
soldiers wounded in the Civil War. But there were many women throughout 
American history--quite often the wives, mothers, daughters, and 
sisters of military men--who took up the role of nurse and treated the 
injured. They were compelled by genuine concern, kindness, and 
patriotism, and they used whatever supplies were available to them in 
their homes and neighborhoods.
  In the First and Second World Wars, nursing was the predominant 
service women were allowed to perform as participating members of the 
military. During these wars and in conflicts since, nurses have 
sacrificed their safety and, at times, their lives in serving overseas 
as medical professionals. Here in our Nation's Capital, as part of the 
Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall, there is a very poignant statue 
dedicated to the nurses who joined our troops in Southeast Asia. The 
image illustrates the important integration of medical care givers in 
successful military operations and the strength of these women who 
traveled to Vietnam and faced the same dangers and perils our soldiers 
did. In the gulf war, Afghanistan, and Iraq, military nurses have 
continued to exhibit this resolve and calm while tending to our Armed 
Forces. For a wounded soldier abroad, I can imagine no greater comfort.
  My appreciation for those who serve our communities and our Nation 
through the nursing profession stems from my experiences growing up on 
the campus of a Veterans Administration, VA, hospital. Additionally, my 
mother, sister, and wife all have nursing backgrounds and I have 
witnessed their commitment to quality health care and to their patients 
throughout my life. As we honor the women and men who are dedicated to 
this profession in clinics, hospitals, and VA facilities across

[[Page S5943]]

the country, we also honor those nurses who are themselves veterans. 
They are soldiers of a different, yet equally brave, stripe and they 
are certainly heroes to the wounded troops they help to bring home. I 
hope my Senate colleagues will join me in recognizing and thanking 
America's nurses, military and civilian, for the incredible, 
indispensable, and courageous work they do.
  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. I commend the 20,000 registered nurses 
working in Nebraska as we celebrate National Nurses Week. From May 6-
12, we recognize the diverse ways in which registered nurses, the 
largest health care profession, are working to improve health care. 
From bedside nursing in hospitals and long-term care facilities to the 
halls of research institutions, State legislatures, and Congress, the 
depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding 
health care needs of American society.
  I also urge more Nebraskans to consider nursing as a career. Although 
nursing is one of the most noble professions, more nurses are 
desperately needed. The Department of Health and Human Services 
predicts that the number of nursing vacancies nationwide will rise from 
its current total of 126,000 to 275,000 in 2010. The shortage of nurses 
in Nebraska is also reaching epidemic proportions, with one in 10 
nursing positions unfilled.
  My colleagues and I want to provide more educational opportunities 
for people who want to become nurses. In response to the national 
nursing shortage, the Nurse Reinvestment Act of 2002 was signed into 
law in August 2002. The Nurse Reinvestment Act provides scholarships to 
nursing students who agree to provide 2 years of service in a health 
care facility with a critical nursing shortage. It also allows for the 
canceling of up to 85 percent of a student's graduate studies loans if 
they later teach at a school of nursing. The act also provides grants 
to improve nurse education, practice, and retention as well as a 
program for training and education in geriatric care that will enable 
nurses to better serve the growing population of older Americans. State 
and national public service announcements will promote nursing and 
raise awareness of the financial assistance that is available.
  A loan forgiveness program is also available. The Nurse Education 
Loan Repayment Program will pay 60 percent, or up to $30,000, of an 
RN's student loan balance in exchange for 2 years of service. If an 
eligible participant elects to stay for another year, an additional 25 
percent of the loan, or up to $7500, will be repaid.
  Nebraska also has a loan forgiveness program for nursing students. A 
limited amount of $1,000 loans are awarded each year. The loan is 
forgiven if the graduate practices nursing in Nebraska for at least 1 
year following graduation.
  Again, I commend the work of Nebraska's nurses and send my best 
wishes during National Nurses Week.

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