[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 181 (Thursday, October 22, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6398-S6399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATION

  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and Senator Wicker, I 
rise today to recognize and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 
Emergency Nurses Association. Made up of 51,000 members from all across 
the globe, the Emergency Nurses Association, or ENA, is the only 
professional organization dedicated to advancing excellence in 
emergency nursing and is the world's premier organization for emergency 
nurses.
  Founded in 1970 to set standards for best practices in emergency 
nursing care, the ENA has provided continuing education programs for 
emergency nurses, as well as a united voice for nurses involved in 
emergency care.
  Among its accomplishments, ENA has worked successfully to raise 
awareness and improve outcomes for the Nation's trauma patients. For 
Americans aged 44 years or younger, traumatic injuries--including car 
crashes, falls, head injuries, burns, and firearm injuries--are 
currently the leading cause of

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death. Working to improve outcomes for those who have suffered a 
traumatic injury, ENA offers courses for emergency nurses that provide 
them with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on training needed to 
deliver high-quality trauma care. ENA's trauma nursing core course is 
one such course. Since its inception in 1986, this course has been 
taken by more than 1 million emergency nurses and is now considered the 
gold standard for the education of nurses in lifesaving trauma care 
techniques.
  ENA was also at the forefront of supporting the MISSION ZERO Act, or 
the Military Injury Surgical Systems Integrated Operationally 
Nationwide to Achieve ZERO Preventable Deaths Act. When this 
legislation was signed into law last year, it created an innovative 
program allowing military trauma teams and professionals to work in 
civilian trauma centers to ensure the highest quality trauma care in 
both peace and war.
  Finally, ENA has been the leader in raising awareness regarding the 
issue of workplace violence directed towards emergency nurses and other 
emergency department personnel. At the State level, it advocated for 
stronger criminal laws to hold those who assault healthcare workers in 
hospitals accountable for their actions. At the Federal level, ENA has 
fought for tougher workplace standards to ensure that hospitals provide 
a safe working environment for their employees.
  On the occasion of the Emergency Nurses Association's 50th 
anniversary, Senator Wicker and I ask our colleagues to join us in 
extending our deepest gratitude to the ENA and all its members for 
their commitment to improving the quality of emergency care that has 
and will continue to save the lives of millions of Americans across our 
country.

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