[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9597-9598]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 IN RECOGNITION OF OUR NATION'S NURSES

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                           HON. DOUG LAMBORN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 20, 2007

  Mr. LAMBORN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to America's 
nurses during National Nurse Recognition Week. From Florence 
Nightingale, to Clara Barton, to the unsung heroes of today, the nurses 
of this country have provided invaluable service in times of peace and 
of war. Providing comfort to the elderly, the sick, and the dying is a, 
noble yet all too often thankless task. It is for this reason that we 
take this week in May to honor the extraordinary contributions of 
nurses to society.
  On March 30, 1981 President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest 
outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. He was then rushed to the 
George Washington University Hospital. When recounting his experience, 
President Reagan often spoke of a nurse who held his hand as he was 
taken into surgery. This simple act by an unknown woman comforted the 
President during his time of pain and fear. Almost a year later, 
President Reagan proclaimed that National Recognition Day for Nurses 
would be observed on May 6. Since then, the recognition has been 
expanded to a weeklong celebration.
  With over 2.7 million registered nurses in this country, nursing is 
the largest health care profession. These men and women administer 
care, with profound compassion, in homes, hospitals, and schools across 
the nation. The theme of this year's National Nurses Week is, 
fittingly, ``Nursing . . . profession and a passion.'' When Americans 
fall ill, it is the nurse who tends to their daily needs and provides 
comfort in times of uncertainty and pain. I want to take this 
opportunity to thank our nation's nurses for their commitment to the 
service of others.

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