[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 77 (Thursday, May 10, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5949-S5950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 192--RECOGNIZING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK ON MAY 6 
                          THROUGH MAY 12, 2007

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 192

       Whereas, since 2003, National Nurses Week is celebrated 
     annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, 
     through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the 
     founder of modern nursing;
       Whereas National Nurses Week is the time each year when 
     nurses are recognized for the critical role they play in 
     providing safe, high quality, and preventative health care;
       Whereas nurses are the cornerstone of the Nation's complex 
     health care system, representing the largest single component 
     of the health care profession, with an estimated 2,900,000 
     registered nurses in the United States;
       Whereas, according to a study published in the New England 
     Journal of Medicine in May 2002, a higher proportion of 
     nursing care provided by registered nurses and a greater 
     number of hours of care by registered nurses per day are 
     associated with better outcomes for hospitalized patients;
       Whereas nurses are experienced researchers and their work 
     encompasses a wide scope of scientific inquiry including 
     clinical research, health systems and outcomes research, and 
     nursing education research;
       Whereas nurses are currently serving the Nation admirably 
     in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan;
       Whereas nurses help inform and educate the public to 
     improve the practice of all nurses and, more importantly, the 
     health and safety of the patients they care for;
       Whereas our Nation continues to face a nursing shortage 
     unprecedented in its depth and duration, with a projected 
     1,200,000 new and replacement nurses needed by 2014;
       Whereas the nationwide nursing shortage has caused 
     dedicated nurses to work longer hours and care for more 
     acutely ill patients;
       Whereas nurses are strong allies to Congress as they help 
     inform, educate, and work closely with legislators to improve 
     the education, retention, recruitment, and practice of all 
     nurses and, more importantly, the health and safety of the 
     patients they care for; and
       Whereas nurses are an integral part of the health care 
     delivery team and provide quality care, support, and 
     education to patients and their families, conduct essential 
     research, and serve as strong patient advocates: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the significant contributions of nurses to 
     the health care system of the United States;
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, 
     as founded by the American Nurses Association; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     National Nurses Week with appropriate recognition, 
     ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate the 
     importance of nurses to the everyday lives of patients.

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my sincere 
appreciation for the more than 2.9 million nurses in our country. In 
recognition of National Nurses Week, May 6 through 12, I am pleased to 
introduce a resolution with Senators Mikulski and Snowe to commemorate 
this week and the valuable role of nurses nationwide.
  Our resolution honors the contributions that nurses make day--after 
day--on the front lines of patient care. We do not thank nurses as 
often as we should. Nurses are an invaluable resource not only to our 
health care system but also to medical research--in health systems and 
outcomes, in nursing education, and in clinical settings. They serve 
our Nation admirably in our communities and in our military, including 
the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Nurses do so much for our country, yet one of the biggest challenges 
facing our health care system today is a shortage of nurses. According 
to an April 2006 report by the American Hospital Association, we need 
approximately 118,000 registered nurses to fill vacant positions 
nationwide. By 2020, there will be a shortfall of more than 1 million 
nurses.
  The problem is not a lack of interest by capable people willing to be 
trained. The issue is a lack of faculty to educate future nurses. Last 
year, nursing colleges across the Nation denied admission to more than 
40,000 qualified

[[Page S5950]]

applicants from entry-level and graduate nursing education programs, 
including almost 2,000 in my State of Illinois alone. Over 71 percent 
of the schools surveyed cited the lack of faculty as the primary reason 
that qualified students were turned away. Nursing schools need the 
resources to teach and train a new generation of nurses and nurse 
educators.
  This is why I introduced the Nurse Education, Expansion, and 
Development, or NEED, Act. This act would provide schools of nursing 
with grants to hire and retain new faculty, purchase educational 
equipment, enhance clinical laboratories, and repair and expand 
infrastructure--some of the very problems that keep nursing schools 
from enrolling additional students today.
  The Illinois Nurses Association's theme for National Nurses Week this 
year is Working Together to Make a Difference, and when it comes to the 
nursing shortage, we all should adopt this theme. Strengthening nursing 
schools, increasing the number of graduates, and driving up the quality 
of care with an adequate supply of nurses depends on all of us working 
together.
  Nurses care for us and our loved ones when we are at our most 
vulnerable. The difference they make in our lives, their dedication, 
and their enormous contributions are an important part of our country's 
strength.
  This week--and always--we honor their efforts and thank them for all 
their work in keeping our Nation healthy and strong.

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