[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3341-H3344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                    RECOGNIZING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1261) recognizing National Nurses Week, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1261

       Whereas since 1990, 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 health care;
       Whereas nurses are known to be patient advocates, acting to 
     protect the lives of those under their care;
       Whereas nurses represent the largest single component of 
     the health care profession with 3,100,000 jobs;
       Whereas the work of nurses encompasses a wide scope of 
     scientific inquiry including clinical research, health 
     systems and outcomes research, and nursing education 
     research;
       Whereas nurses help inform and educate the public and 
     Congress to improve the recruitment, education, retention, 
     and 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 final survey data showing that enrollments in 
     entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing rose by 3.6 
     percent in 2009, and though this marks the ninth 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 119,000 qualified applications to nursing 
     programs according to the National League for Nursing's most 
     recent survey of all prelicensure nursing programs;
       Whereas according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
     employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 22 
     percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for 
     all occupations;
       Whereas according to new survey data by the AACN, 
     enrollment in doctoral nursing programs increased by more 
     than 20 percent this year, signaling strong interest among 
     students in careers as nursing scientists, faculty, primary 
     care providers, and specialists;
       Whereas according to the AACN, expanding capacity in 
     baccalaureate and graduate programs is critical to sustaining 
     a healthy nursing workforce and providing patients with the 
     best care possible;
       Whereas nursing colleges and universities across the 
     country are struggling to meet the rising demand for nurses; 
     and
       Whereas increased support is needed to enhance efforts to 
     educate nursing students at all levels, to increase the 
     number of faculty members to educate nursing students, and to

[[Page H3342]]

     create educational opportunities to retain nurses in the 
     profession: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, 
     as founded by the American Nurses Association; and
       (2) acknowledges the importance of quality higher education 
     in nursing, including baccalaureate and graduate programs and 
     programs that help expand the supply of nursing program 
     faculty, to meet the needs of one of the Nation's fastest 
     growing labor fields.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kline) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days in which 
Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous 
material on H. Res. 1261 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H. Res. 1261, which recognizes National 
Nurses Week and the significant contributions that nurses make to our 
Nation's health care system. National Nurses Week also stresses the 
importance of quality higher education in nursing to meet the needs of 
one of the fastest growing professions.
  National Nurses Week began on May 6, a day also known as National 
Recognition Day for Nurses. Today marks the end of the week of 
recognition as we celebrate the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the 
founder of modern nursing.
  All across the Nation, communities have spent this week recognizing 
our Nation's 3.1 million nurses for their heroic acts, years of service 
to the community, and commitment to the nursing profession. Today's 
health care system requires nurses to be present at every stage of 
patient care, including partnering with physicians, pharmacists and 
other health care professionals to direct and manage patient needs. We 
thank them for their hard work and dedication.
  The number of nurses in the United States is expected to grow rapidly 
in the near future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates that the 
employment of registered nurses will grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 
2018. The growth in nursing job openings, along with an increasing 
number of nurses retiring or leaving the profession, is likely to lead 
to a continued demand for nursing professionals. In fact, it is 
estimated that there could be a shortage of more than 1 million nurses 
by the end of this decade.
  Madam Speaker, while we honor America's nurses, we know we must do 
more to expand and sustain the profession. According to the National 
League for Nursing's most recent survey of all prelicensure nursing 
programs, thousands of qualified applicants have been rejected from 
nursing programs nationwide in the last few years. According to the 
League, the lack of capacity in nursing programs is due in part to a 
continuing shortage of nursing educators. It is vital that we support 
efforts to enhance existing education programs at both the 
baccalaureate and graduate level.
  Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for National Nurses 
Week and the focus on the contributions of our Nation's many nurses to 
our health care system. We honor the excellent work done by nurses and 
encourage them to continue making a difference each and every day.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for 
introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support this 
bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 
1261, recognizing National Nurses Week. The gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Woolsey) explained in some detail the history of this week and the 
importance of nurses to our communities, to our States, and to our 
Nation. I strongly endorse and identify myself with her remarks.
  I want to just take a personal moment. This is an especially 
important week in my house and my life. My wife, Vicky, has spent her 
entire adult life as a nurse, as a registered nurse. She did a career 
in the Army as an Army nurse and worked for years in emergency rooms 
and trauma centers literally around the country as I was transferred 
from duty station to duty station. And so I feel the importance that 
comes with this very noble and important profession.
  I know the care and compassion that comes with this profession, the 
lifesaving skills and the dedication. In my family, literally in 
Vicky's family, the nursing profession has long been part of that 
family. Her mother was a nurse. I have a niece, her niece is serving as 
an Army nurse. I have a sister-in-law who spent her adult life as a 
nurse. This is a profession that is, indeed, lifesaving and so 
important to our families.
  I want to extend my grateful congratulations to all those nurses, men 
and women, who have dedicated their lives to serving those in need here 
and around the world. I ask that my colleagues support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize for such time 
as she may consume the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice 
Johnson), the author of H. Res. 1261.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. 
Woolsey for yielding me this time. It is a privilege to offer this 
resolution celebrating this resolution recognizing National Nurses 
Week, which ends today.
  Nurses have been called the patient's first advocate, but their work 
also encompasses a wide scope of scientific inquiry, including clinical 
research, health systems research, and nursing education research.
  Every day, nurses make a commitment to providing quality patient 
care, growing and adapting to the new challenges that our changing 
health care system requires.
  I began my career as a registered professional nurse where I provided 
hands-on patient care for 15 years as a psychiatric nurse at the 
Veterans Administration Hospital in Dallas, Texas. This is why I remain 
a strong nursing ally today, advocating on behalf of the nursing 
profession to ensure that they have the means necessary to perform 
their jobs safely, with the best resources possible.
  I would like to thank my fellow colleagues, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Capps) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
McCarthy), who are also nurses and champions of this resolution and the 
nursing profession. The Congressional Nursing Caucus was also helpful 
in promoting this legislation, and I appreciate all of the efforts to 
generate support for the resolution.
  Nurses are a key component to our Nation's health care system and 
will become even more vital with the full implementation of health care 
reform. Nurses work in emergency rooms, school-based clinics, community 
health centers, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, physician 
offices, and on the battlefield. Their roles take many shapes from 
staff nurse to nurse educator, all while remaining committed to patient 
safety and working to influence the broader health care policy for the 
benefit of the greater good. Nurses are extremely dedicated individuals 
who must be intelligent and detail oriented, ready to act at the spur 
of the moment. A caring and compassionate heart is required for the 
tough work that nurses perform, usually under duress.
  As important as the nursing industry is, we still face a nursing 
shortage. Enrollment rose in 2009 for entry-level B.A. programs, but 
the annual increase in student capacity in 4-year nursing programs has 
declined sharply since 2003.
  It is imperative that we expand capacity in B.A. and graduate 
programs to sustain a healthy nursing workforce and provide patients 
with the best care possible.
  As we try to meet the demands of the nursing profession, we must also 
tackle the challenges related to the impact of faculty shortages on 
educational capacity.
  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, and to retain nurses in the profession.

[[Page H3343]]

  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I don't have any other 
speakers at this time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the gentlewoman 
from California (Mrs. Capps), who is also a nurse, for such time as she 
may consume.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1261, 
recognizing National Nurses Week, and I thank the leadership in the 
Congress for bringing this bill to the floor and acknowledge the close 
personal ties that many of us have with nurses.
  I am very honored and pleased to be cosponsoring this resolution with 
my House colleagues and fellow nurses, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson and 
also Carolyn McCarthy.
  The recent debate in Congress on health care reform and the passage 
of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have provided us an 
opportunity to highlight the importance of nurses to our health care 
system. Nurses are the backbone of health care delivery, and I know 
that because occasionally I will be approached by a colleague who wants 
to tell me about a recent medical event in their life, some situation, 
procedure, or surgery or some hospital stay. And inevitably it isn't 
the kind of doctor care they had; it is the nurses that they want to 
tell me about, especially the outstanding ones who made all of the 
difference in their recovery. I know because it is nurses who spend 
countless hours at patient bedsides. It is nurses who are in all walks 
of life, educating their communities about public health, and that is 
what I did for most of my career as a nurse, caring for the children 
and their families in our public school system in my community.
  Nurses are also case managers. They are health system administrators. 
They are educators. They are members of the military. They are primary 
providers, and this list goes on and on. So I am proud to see our House 
of Representatives recognizing the immeasurable contributions that 
nurses make to the daily health and well-being of all Americans.
  Madam Speaker, I know as individuals we each recognize the important 
roles nurses play. Of course, too often this recognition and 
appreciation doesn't come until after we have had our own adverse 
health experiences, as I have been relating to you. As I said, many of 
my colleagues come up to me after a hospitalization or that of a family 
member, and again they say, Wow, if it hadn't been for the care of the 
nurses.
  Today, we have an opportunity to collectively thank and show 
appreciation to the nurses in our lives and all of the nurses that 
serve our country every day in the armed services and in our 
communities, the nurses who are our constituents and our family members 
and our friends, and to renew our commitment to supporting the 
profession by providing greater opportunities for scholarship and loan 
repayment, just as we did in our newly enacted health reform law. We 
have a shortage of nurses and other health providers, and we want to do 
what we can to increase their numbers so that better patient care can 
be delivered.
  We need to also increase funding for existing programs to improve the 
training and recruitment of our next generation of nurses. I urge all 
of my colleagues to support this resolution. I am pleased to be 
standing on the floor in its favor.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, it is fitting that today, May 12, we 
are on the floor to honor our nation's nurses on the 20th anniversary 
of National Nurses Week. Why is May 12th significant? Because it is the 
birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
  As co-chair of the House Nursing Caucus, I am a proud supporter of H. 
Res. 1261, which was introduced by my colleague, Rep. Eddie Bernice 
Johnson.
  More than three million jobs in this country are held by nurses, and 
they represent the largest single component of the health care 
profession. Nurses are the rock stars of the medical profession, and 
often are patients' greatest advocates. They do not get the recognition 
they deserve.
  They work tirelessly, and often are the greatest source of comfort 
and compassion for the sick. They are American heroes with huge hearts 
and sensible shoes. Nurses have probably done more to popularize CROCS 
clogs than any other single profession. Whoever runs CROCS should give 
the nursing profession a high five for helping make their footwear a 
staple from coast to coast.
  If you know a nurse, or have received kind and professional care from 
a nurse, take a moment to thank them. Today, which marks the close of 
National Nurses Week, is a perfect time to do it. Our nation's nurses 
deserve our praise, thanks and support, and I am proud to be here today 
to honor them.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1261, 
a resolution to recognize National Nurses Week and acknowledge the 
importance of quality nurse education programs.
  The crucial role of nurses in our health care system cannot be 
overstated. Across the country, dedicated nurses work tirelessly to 
ensure that their patients receive quality care. In addition to their 
countless clinical responsibilities, nurses are a source of medical 
knowledge and compassion for families and patients when they are going 
through difficult times.
  Sadly, many talented nurses are forced from their profession because 
of injuries sustained while on the job. Every year, thousands of nurses 
and health care workers sustain back and neck injuries while lifting or 
transferring patients. Not only are these injuries very expensive for 
hospitals and providers because of costs that are associated with 
workers' compensation, retraining and replacement, but they are also 
often devastating to the personal and professional lives of nurses. 
Fortunately, the musculoskeletal injuries in facilities that use 
assistive patient handling have significantly decreased. That is why I 
have introduced H.R. 2381, the ``Nurse and Health Care Worker 
Protection Act of 2009.'' This legislation would require the Secretary 
of Labor to promulgate a rule creating a standard for safe patient 
handling to prevent more nurses from being injured while assisting 
patients. Additionally, health facilities would be required to purchase 
an adequate number of mechanical lifting devices. Senator Franken has 
introduced the companion bill, and just yesterday the Senate 
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety held a hearing on this 
critical issue.
  I commend my friend Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for 
introducing H. Res. 1261 which honors the necessary and valuable work 
that nurses do every day. I encourage my colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Madam Speaker, as the old saying goes, ``Save one life, 
you're a hero. Save 10,000, you're a nurse.''
  I rise today on the birthday of Florence Nightingale to honor 
America's nearly 3.1 million registered nurses as they celebrate this 
year's National Nurses Week themed ``Nurses: Caring Today for a 
Healthier Tomorrow.'' Nursing is a profession that welcomes dedicated 
people with a variety of interests, strengths, and passions attracted 
by the numerous opportunities that the profession offers. Their 
dedication to improving the health of our Nation is unmatched, and with 
the recent passage of health reform, America's demand for nurses is 
greater than ever as we recruit more nurses to ensure patients' access 
to high-quality, affordable care, now and in the future.
  America's nurses are especially important to our rural and 
underserved areas as they are the most cost-effective and often the 
only preventive and primary health care providers available. Our 
registered nurses are there for patients during times of disaster and 
crisis, and they serve us well in our schools and at our offices. They 
devote their lives to improving the quality of life of others and 
frequently adapt to meet the public's growing needs. The indispensible 
contributions of our nurses to our health care system are far too often 
overlooked.
  I urge my colleagues to join with me in thanking America's nurses for 
their role in ensuring the health and well-being of our Nation. Nurses 
are experts in addressing patient needs. They make a difference every 
day in all of our lives. When you see a nurse today, thank them for 
their exceptional work because our caring nurses are ensuring a 
healthier tomorrow.
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers and I 
encourage my colleagues to support H. Res. 1261, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 
1261, recognizing National Nurses Week and recognizing the significant 
contributions that nurses make to our Nation's health care system.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1261, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the

[[Page H3344]]

rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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