[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5418-H5420]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 192) recognizing National Nurses Week 
on May 6 through May 12, 2009.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 192

       Whereas since 1999, National Nurses Week is celebrated 
     annually from May 6, also known as National Recognition Day 
     for Nurses, through May 12, the birthday of Florence 
     Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing;
       Whereas National Nurses Week is a time of year to reflect 
     on the important contributions that nurses make to provide 
     safe, high-quality healthcare;
       Whereas nurses are known to be patient advocates, acting 
     fearlessly to protect the lives of those under their care;
       Whereas nurses represent the largest single component of 
     the healthcare profession, with an estimated population of 
     2,900,000 registered nurses in the United States;
       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 provide culturally and ethnically competent 
     care and are increasingly being educated to be sensitive to 
     regional and community customs of persons needing care;
       Whereas nurses are best positioned to provide leadership to 
     eliminate healthcare disparities that exist in our Nation;
       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 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing 
     (AACN) released preliminary survey data showing that 
     enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs 
     increased by only 2 percent from 2007 to 2008, and though 
     this marks the eighth consecutive year of enrollment growth, 
     the annual increase in student capacity in 4-year nursing 
     programs has declined sharply since 2003 when enrollment was 
     up by 16.6 percent;
       Whereas United States nursing programs were forced to 
     reject almost 100,000 qualified applications to nursing 
     programs according to the National League for Nursing's most 
     recent survey of all prelicensure nursing programs;
       Whereas the nationwide nursing shortage has caused 
     dedicated nurses to work longer hours and care for more 
     acutely ill patients;
       Whereas nurse educators work on average more than 57 hours 
     per week in order to ensure that each and every new 
     registered nurse receives an excellent education, advancing 
     excellence among the next generation of nurses;
       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 increased Federal and State support is needed to 
     enhance existing programs and create new programs to educate 
     nursing students at all levels, to increase the number of 
     faculty members to educate nursing students, to create 
     clinical sites and have the appropriately prepared nurses to 
     teach and train at those sites, to create educational 
     opportunities to retain nurses in the profession, and to 
     educate and train more nurse research scientists who can 
     discover new nursing care models to improve the health status 
     of the Nation's diverse population: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the significant contributions of nurses to 
     the healthcare 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) and the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. 
Simpson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 192, a resolution 
that honors the important contributions of nurses in the United States 
health care system.
  There are nearly 3 million registered nurses nationwide. Nurses 
represent the single largest group of health care professionals. They 
are involved in every aspect of care. They are researchers. They help 
inform and educate the public, and they also help educate doctors, 
especially those freshly out of medical schools or residencies. They 
monitor the health and safety of their patients. They work to provide 
culturally competent care.
  Earlier this spring at an Energy and Commerce hearing, witnesses 
highlighted the important role that nurses play in improving access to 
primary care, particularly among the underserved populations.
  I would like to thank Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, a nurse, 
for her leadership on this issue. I would also like to thank 
Representative Capps, who is also a nurse, for her continued support of 
nursing issues and for her work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues 
to join me in supporting this resolution that observes the important 
role that nurses play in the lives of their patients.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 192 recognizing 
National Nurses Week from May 6 through May 12, 2009. Not only is today 
the last day of National Nurses Week, but it is also the birthday of 
Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. I hope that my 
colleagues here at the House of Representatives have had an opportunity 
to reflect over the last week on all of the contributions that nurses 
have made to ensure safe and high-quality health care to those under 
their care.
  In each of our communities, nurses work collaboratively with patients 
and other health professionals to improve the safety of patients and 
advance care in a myriad of settings. Nurses represent the largest 
single component of the health care profession with nearly 2.9 million 
registered nurses in the United States who are dedicated to improving 
the health outcomes of million of patients under their care.
  I applaud the work that nurses have contributed and because of the 
ailing economy, we are seeing more nurses filling the shortage that 
exists. Many are going back to work, or putting off planned retirement 
to help maintain their family income during tough economic times. Many 
of those jobs are also being filled by better recruiting tactics by 
hospitals that have increased wages, offered potential hires signing 
bonuses, and efforts have been made to retain older nurses by making 
their jobs less strenuous. But as past economic indicators have shown, 
nurses shortages occur in times of healthy economic expansion and as 
baby boomers get older, we hope that hospitals will continue to provide 
incentives for nurses to fill vacant health care positions.
  I would like to thank Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, the sponsor 
of this resolution, and the American Nurses Association for raising 
public awareness about the contributions that nurses give to our 
communities. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this 
resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as 
she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague and 
physician from the Virgin Islands for yielding to me. I rise in strong 
support of H. Res. 192, a resolution in recognition of National Nurses 
Week.

[[Page H5419]]

  I too would like to thank Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for 
introducing this bill, along with Representative Lois Capps and 
Representative Carolyn McCarthy, all nurses in this body, for 
sponsoring this resolution and for their steadfast commitment to 
honoring nurses and highlighting the importance of estimated 2.9 
million nurses to our health care system.
  As we move forward with health care reform discussions, we must 
continue to listen to nurses. Nurses will fight for improving patient 
access to quality care. And it is nurses who will advocate for more 
preventive and primary care providers to help reduce the need for 
costly inpatient care. And it is nurses who will fight for appropriate 
nurse staffing ratios to reduce medical error and to cut down on the 
number of readmissions to hospitals.
  We all know about the shortages in primary care professionals, 
especially nurses right now; and as we move toward health care reform 
and bring more people into the system, we certainly are going to need 
more nurses.
  There are about 500,000 nurses out there who have left the profession 
for many, many reasons, but one of them is because they have very 
stressful working conditions.
  So as we celebrate National Nurses Week, we need to think about that. 
One of those issues is to reduce the number of patients that each nurse 
has to take care of these days. The patient/nurse ratio is so high, 
there are so many patients that they have to take care of, that many 
have just said, Can't do it.
  And so I think the best way we honor nurses is to look at ways we 
make conditions in the hospitals, in their workplace, much more 
amenable to them because they are the frontline people.
  Right now when our loved ones have to go to the hospital, many feel 
they need to have an advocate with them because when the button is 
pushed calling for the nurse, sometimes they are not there, not because 
they don't want to be there, but because they are in the next room or 
the next room and not able to get to their patients.
  Madam Speaker, it is important that Congress recognize and celebrate 
our nurses during National Nurses Week and throughout the year, and 
throughout the years to come. Our nurses stand up for us, and I am 
honored to stand up for them.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to the 
sponsor of the resolution, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie 
Bernice Johnson).
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, let me thank my 
colleagues who are managing this bill today.
  It really is a delight and a privilege to offer a resolution 
recognizing National Nurses Week, which is May 6 through today, the 
12th.
  I began my professional career as a nurse and as a registered nurse 
with a master's degree; I have 15 years of hands-on patient-care 
experience. I served as the chief psychiatric nurse at the VA Hospital 
in Dallas. During times of war, we see so many men and women suffering 
from post-traumatic stress disorder. They need prompt and compassionate 
care.
  Just yesterday, the New York Times reported that an American soldier 
in Baghdad shot five of his fellow comrades. The attack took place in a 
clinic for soldiers who were seeking help for stress. Another such 
incident occurred last September.
  I have great empathy for our brave members of our military who suffer 
from emotional distress, and I admire the nurses and other health care 
professionals who work to assist them. Nurses are a key component of 
our health care system; and whether on the battlefield, at sea, in a 
skilled nursing facility or in a hospital, the care that a nurse 
provides is very, very valuable.

                              {time}  1500

  Nurses are the patient's primary advocate. They are intelligent 
people who most often have to make quick decisions in an effort to save 
the life of a patient. Nurses are tough guardians. They often do their 
work under duress and under difficult conditions.
  My colleagues, Congresswoman Lois Capps and Congresswoman Carolyn 
McCarthy, are also nurses. They have worked with me to promote this 
resolution, and they are champions in the nursing profession.
  I want to thank my many congressional colleagues who cosponsored this 
resolution honoring nurses. We recognize that although more than 2.9 
million registered nurses work in the United States, our Nation 
continues to suffer from a nursing shortage. Congress should invest in 
the title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Program to help address 
this challenge. We cannot do health care reform without addressing the 
shortage of nursing.
  Congress must also increase support for nurse faculty education, 
particularly for advanced practice nurses and advanced education in 
nursing. Further, hospitals need to establish valid, reliable and 
adjustable unit-by-unit nurse staffing plans. These plans should link 
staff to quality outcomes and should involve direct input of nursing 
staff based on each area's unique characteristics and needs. The 
nursing community has provided valuable recommendations on policies to 
support the nursing profession, and I encourage my colleagues to review 
these suggestions.
  Several nursing organizations were engaged in developing this 
resolution, and I would like to thank them. They are the American 
Nurses Association, the Emergency Nurses Association, the National 
Black Nurses Association, and the National League for Nurses.
  Today's resolution honors the good work that all nurses do, the 
profession that has more patient support than any other. Along with my 
many supportive colleagues, I want to thank the House leadership for 
bringing up this important resolution and I urge support for the 
resolution.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the American 
Nurses Association and the National Black Nurses Association, as well 
as the other nursing associations, for the leadership that they provide 
on behalf of nurses, and to take this opportunity to congratulate all 
the new nurses who will be receiving their pins and their caps later 
this month and joining this noble profession.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in order to thank my 
colleague Eddie Bernice Johnson for sponsoring National Nurses Week.
  Nurses are America's national heroes. Day after day, they deliver 
life saving health care in nursing homes, hospitals, community clinics, 
and public schools across this nation. They deliver our babies, take 
care of the disabled, and make sure that senior citizens receive the 
tender loving care and attention they need when they are sick and 
infirm.
  Sadly, too many nurses are working in hospitals, clinics and other 
health care work settings that are stressful, inhumane, and not 
conducive to safe patient care. Many nurses experience painful and 
debilitating work related injuries from lifting patients--injuries that 
could be avoided if there were mechanical lift devices in hospitals 
which could safely assist nurses in the lifting of patients.
  Nurses across the nation rightfully complain of working too many 
hours, supervising too many patients at one time, and having to spend 
endless hours filling out paper work. Much of the paper work is related 
to private insurance billing.
  Many nurses leave the profession early because of stressful and 
difficult work conditions. This is contributing to a growing nursing 
shortage in America. Unfortunately, patients across this nation are 
getting less quality care from nurses because there are simply not 
enough nurses to provide the care that patients need and deserve. 
America must address the nursing crisis now, especially as we move 
towards major health reform.
  We must thank President Obama for having the vision and courage to 
address our dysfunctional health care system by calling for passage of 
a major health reform bill this year. I believe that creating a 
national health insurance system would be the most cost effective and 
humane way to achieve universal health care in America. This is why I 
have introduced HR 676, ``The United States National Health Insurance 
Act,'' in every Congress since 2003.
  We as a nation must ensure that we have the best trained and optimal 
number of nurses possible. However, if we are to achieve this very 
important goal, the President and the Congress must have a ``federal 
national nurse policy'' that reflects the needs of the nursing 
profession.
  This can be best accomplished by having members of Congress and the 
President listen to the many challenges that our over worked nurses 
experience every day, and then passing meaningful federal nurse reform 
legislation that can substantively address the nursing shortage in this 
country, and improve their work conditions.

[[Page H5420]]

  Our nurses deserve the best work conditions possible, and so do the 
millions of patients they care for in America.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H. Res. 192, recognizing national nurses week on May 6 through May 12, 
2009. I thank Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for introducing this 
important resolution which recognizes and acknowledges the dedication 
of our nursing community across America.
  This resolution is important because nurses represent the largest 
single component of the healthcare profession, with an estimated 2.9 
million registered nurses in the United States. In Texas alone, 
according to the Texas Board of Nursing, there are 162,163 registered 
nurses through out the state.
  In Harris County, the county encompassing my district, there are 
24,480 registered nurses. Nurses are patient advocates and act 
fearlessly to protect the lives of those under their care. Nurses care 
for patients, but participate in a wide range of needed scientific 
research, and fight cultural and ethnic disparities, and treat all 
patients as equals. Nurses are also teachers, not only to future 
generations of nurses, but to the public, educating us on health and 
safety.
  It is necessary that we acknowledge the outstanding contribution to 
society by nurses because nurses can be 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.
  Federal and State support is needed to enhance existing programs to 
educate nursing students at all levels, to increase the number of 
faculty members to educate nursing students, to create clinical sites 
and have the appropriately prepared nurses to teach and train at those 
sites, to create educational opportunities to retain nurses in the 
profession, and to educate and train more nurse research scientists who 
can discover new nursing care models to improve the health status of 
the Nation's diverse population. The services nurses can provide are 
linked directly to the availability, cost and quality of healthcare 
services, which are at the center of health reform discussions.
  In a year where health care reform is a top priority, it is 
significant to acknowledge that 33 national nursing organizations have 
endorsed a consensus statement from the Nursing Community that 
complement five of President Obama's tenets outlined in his 
Transforming and Modernizing America's Health Care System plan. Nurses 
protect families and financial health and make health care coverage 
affordable by providing cost-effective care at all levels of nursing 
practice. Nurses play a key role in the success of the President's aim 
for universality. Without a strong investment in the nursing workforce, 
the goal of reaching universality will be unattainable, particularly 
for rural communities and underserved populations. When the 
Administration and Congress invest in prevention and wellness, existing 
practice and care models, such as the Nurse Family Partnership, derived 
from nursing science will serve as national exemplars for wellness and 
prevention. The strength of the nursing profession lies in its 
contribution to improve patient safety and quality care. Nursing care 
is critical to improving healthcare quality and safety to ensure better 
patient outcomes.
  Unfortunately, there is a continuing shortage of professional 
Registered Nurses. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing 
released preliminary survey data showing that enrollment in entry level 
baccalaureate nursing programs increased by only 2 percent from 2007 to 
2008. While this makes the eighth consecutive year of enrollment 
growth, the annual increase in student capacity in 4-year nursing 
programs has declined sharply since 2003 which enrollment was up 16.6 
percent. Due to a lack of nurse educators over 100,000 qualified 
nursing candidates have been rejected to nursing programs across the 
U.S. according to the National League for Nursing most recent survey. 
These shortages have caused the current nurse educators to work on 
average more than 57 hours per week as well as dedicated nurses to work 
longer hours and care for more acutely ill patients. The nursing field 
needs more money invested in its future.
  It is only fitting that the end of National Nurses Week is the 
birthday of Florence Nightingale. She once said ``I attribute my 
success to this--I never gave or took any excuse.'' So today in her 
honor we must give no excuse to keep from honoring the noble and 
important profession of nursing, if anything we should fight to improve 
its condition because with improved nursing, and funds for nurses, we 
get a better health care system. I urge my colleagues to pass this 
resolution and acknowledge and support our country's nurses.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 192 and in 
support of National Nurses Week. I commend my friend and fellow nurse, 
Ms. Johnson, for introducing this resolution.
  As we observe Nurses Week, we have a perfect opportunity to highlight 
the importance of addressing nursing issues in the context of health 
reform.
  Nurses must have a seat at the table for the discussions and nurses 
must be part of the solutions. After all, nurses are the best advocates 
for their patients.
  I would like to propose that we use National Nurses Week 2009 to not 
only thank the nurses who have helped us in our own lives, but to learn 
more about the roles that they play in our community at-large.
  Whether it is the nurse at a patient's hospital bedside, the nurse 
tending to children at an elementary school, the nurse midwife 
delivering a baby or the nurse faculty instructing a new generation of 
nurses, they all play an important part in our health care delivery 
system.
  As we proceed with comprehensive health reform, we need to take into 
account the various roles that nurses perform so that we can ensure a 
viable nurse workforce well into the future.
  Health reform will be impossible without a nursing workforce to 
support the primary and acute care needs of all Americans and I 
encourage my colleagues to join me in making a commitment during Nurses 
Week to advocate for nurses during our health reform debate.
  Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 
192--Recognizing National Nurses Week. I'd like to particularly thank 
my colleague Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas for offering 
this resolution, and to honor my colleagues Representative Lois Capps 
of California and Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York, three 
Members of Congress who worked as nurses before holding public office 
and who continue to be strong advocates for nurses and patients.
  The men and women who work as nurses in the United States are some of 
the most important--but also some of the most unsung--heroes who serve 
in our communities. We all probably have a personal story about a nurse 
who either cared for us or a close family member or friend during a 
time of need. They are superb in their skill sets; tender in the care 
they provide; and deserving of our utmost respect.
  When you become a nurse, the conventional wisdom and continuing 
tradition is that you go into the field because you have a genuine 
interest in and passion for helping those in need. You don't do it for 
the money; you don't do it for the glamour; and you certainly don't do 
it for the hours.
  But it's time to encourage men and women to pursue a career in 
nursing by showing them that we respect and value the careers of the 
approximate 3 million nurses across America. We can do this by 
increasing pay for nurses and by making nursing education more 
affordable and more accessible.
  We're facing an unprecedented nursing shortage across this country 
that could lead to a shortfall of up to 500,000 nurses by 2025. And 
nursing isn't a job that can be downsized or outsourced. That is why I 
support the inclusion of $215 million for the Nursing Workforce 
Development program in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget and why I worked to 
help secure $500 million in the stimulus package for training programs 
for primary care providers, including nurses.
  In my own district in California I fought to keep the Registered 
Nursing Program alive and funded at L.A. Southwest College, and am 
happy to announce that this year they will receive a $285,000 
appropriation to improve nursing education through state-of-the-art 
technology.
  Nurses are a precious asset we cannot afford to be without.
  With major health care reform on the horizon, we must remember that 
nurses will be at the center of any meaningful reform. Let us honor 
their service, their dedication, and their profession by passing this 
resolution.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 192.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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