[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 25, 2010

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, since we just commemorated National 
Nurses Week 2010, I rise today to call attention to the important and 
essential role that nurses play in providing quality health care across 
our Nation. Nurses are the largest group of health professionals 
involved on the front lines of caring for Americans. Our Nation's 
health care system is complex and every day people with many different 
health needs are served by legions of caring, qualified, and 
professional nurses, who are integral to our Nation's health care 
delivery system.
  I believe every person can remember an experience when someone they 
loved needed health care and a nurse was the first person by their side 
providing care and comfort. We all know someone who works in the field 
of nursing and the commitment they make to their profession, despite 
extraordinary challenges every day.
  The Nurse in Washington Internship program recently brought 
representatives of this noble field to our Nation's capital to give a 
voice to their needs and experience. I was pleased to meet with my 
constituent Jennifer Vaugh (RN, BSN) from Forest, Virginia.
  An adequate supply of nurses is essential to ensuring that all people 
receive quality care and that our Nation's public health infrastructure 
is strong. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is 
currently a nursing shortage of 2.5 million registered nurses in the 
United States. This figure is expected to grow to 41 percent by 2020.
  Additional Congressional leadership is necessary to ensure that the 
Nation has an adequate supply of nurses to care for the patients of 
today and tomorrow.

                          ____________________