[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

  (Mr. SMUCKER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Nurses 
Week, a celebration of our dedicated healthcare professionals 
throughout our country.
  National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, 
which is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, widely considered the 
founder of modern nursing.
  National Nurses Week was first celebrated in 1954, in honor of the 
centennial anniversary of Ms. Nightingale's renowned humanitarian 
mission during the Crimean War.
  In 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation officially 
proclaiming May 6 as the national day of recognition for nurses.
  During my time in Congress, Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege to 
meet with nurses and nursing associations from central Pennsylvania and 
to hear from them about their critical work around the Commonwealth. 
The tremendous impact that these nurses have on our entire medical 
system through their passionate work never ceases to amaze me.
  I am extraordinarily grateful that Pennsylvania ranks fourth among 
all States in the number of professionally active nurses, with nearly 
220,000 currently serving our great Commonwealth. Hospitals and medical 
clinics certainly couldn't operate without them. Their tireless 
dedication to the well-being of our children, parents, spouses, and 
friends supports and strengthens our local communities every single 
day.
  I would also like to thank the families, educators, and medical 
facilities that have allowed these wonderful healthcare professionals 
to flourish in their selfless vocation.

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