[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            AMERICA'S NURSE

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 26, 2005

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your attention 
``America's Nurse,'' an op-ed highlighting the importance of nurses in 
our country that was published in the New York Times written by Teri 
Mills, a constituent of mine.

                [From the New York Times, May 20, 2005]

                            America's Nurse

                            (By Teri Mills)

       So, national nurses' week has come and gone and what 
     happened? Nothing, despite estimates that by 2020 there will 
     be 400,000 fewer nurses than are needed in this country. 
     Drastic action is required. And here's the action I suggest: 
     dethrone the surgeon general and appoint a National Nurse.
       Here's why. Prevention is the best way to lower health care 
     costs. If people take care of themselves and don't get sick . 
     . . well, you know the rest. And who better to educate 
     Americans on how to take better care of themselves than 
     nurses?
       After all, nurses are considered the most honest and 
     ethical professionals, according to a recent Gallup poll. 
     It's the nurse whom the patient trusts to explain the 
     treatment ordered by a doctor. It is the nurse who teaches 
     new parents how to care for their newborn. It is the nurse 
     who explains to the family how to comfort a dying loved one.
       1Meanwhile, the surgeon general, the nation's head doctor, 
     is all but invisible. If you went to a supermarket and asked 
     10 people the surgeon general's name or to describe his or 
     her role, it's unlikely that you would find anyone who could. 
     (It's Richard H. Carmona, by the way.)
       Now, I'm not saying that a National Nurse will become a 
     household name immediately. But given all that's at stake--
     the health of a nation--and given the surgeon 
     general's inability to connect with Americans, it seems to 
     me that we should at least give nurses a try.
       Here's what I'd have the National Nurse do. She or he would 
     highlight health care education through 15-minute weekly 
     broadcasts that would also be available on the Internet. The 
     emphasis would be on prevention: how to have a healthy heart; 
     how to raise your teenagers without going crazy; how to avoid 
     being swept into the growing tide of obesity.
       The Office of the National Nurse would yield benefits in a 
     multitude of ways. The informational programs would decrease 
     dependence on a health care system that is not only expensive 
     but at times inaccessible, especially for those who lack 
     insurance or live in rural areas. Through the office, nurses 
     could sign up for a National Nurse Corps that would organize 
     activities to enhance health in their communities. A National 
     Nurse would give public recognition to the valuable work that 
     nurses perform each day; if we're lucky, the National Nurse 
     would help stem the nursing shortage by attracting people to 
     the profession.
       A National Nurse won't solve all of our country's health 
     care problems, but one would definitely improve the 
     situation. America has a history of honoring great nurses--
     from Clara Barton to Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail. Isn't it 
     time we did so again?

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