[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 65 (Thursday, May 9, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E639-E640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING OUR NATION'S NURSES FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS IN DELIVERING 
                              QUALITY CARE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PETER J. ROSKAM

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 2013

  Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to highlight the crucial work 
of nurses in America.
  Few individuals touch the lives of others in the manner in which 
nurses commit to aiding

[[Page E640]]

their patients. This is one of the many reasons that we honor and 
celebrate our nation's nurses during this week of National Nurses Week
  Unique from almost any other profession, nurses join us in some of 
life's most exciting milestones as well as some of its most challenging 
seasons. Nurses share in the joyous moment of a newborn's cries to 
assisting our grandparents as they transition into their golden years. 
Nurses help clean up our children's first schoolyard scrapes and 
tumbles just as they help our Nation's homeless when they fall off 
their feet.
  This commitment to patient care dates back to Florence Nightingale. 
The archetype of modern nursing, Nightingale demonstrated both 
commitment and compassion to the fallen soldiers of the British Crimean 
War. It was this paradigm that helped reduce the death rate of the 
Crimean War by two-thirds.
  As a result of this patient-centric model of aid, patient advocacy 
and hospital administration have both adapted into what we are familiar 
with and thankful for today. That is why Nursing Appreciation Week is 
celebrated during the week of May 12, Nightingale's birthday.
  There are more nurses than any other workers in the health 
profession. However, when nursing staffs decrease, individual patient 
attention decreases as well. This can lead to medical complications and 
increased hospital stay increase. It is not only a single nurse that 
encourages patient recovery; it is a team of nurses that play a pivotal 
role in patient wellness.
  In the upcoming years while the American healthcare system undergoes 
substantial changes, we will depend on nurses more than ever when 
seeking healthcare. Nurses will serve alongside their colleagues in 
discovering the next steps in innovative care models as we transition 
to the next chapter in patient care.
  I would encourage all of my fellow members to remember this week next 
time they visit a hospital or take their child to the doctor; remember 
to thank your nurse as well.

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