[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7738]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the invaluable 
work of nurses. With 3 million nurses nationwide, these men and women 
make up the largest providers of healthcare in the country. I am proud 
to acknowledge the talents and successes of these caregivers as we 
recognize National Nurses Week.
  These dedicated health professionals provide quality care to patients 
every single day. Their dedication and passion to caregiving is 
constantly on display, often during critical and stressful situations. 
The work they do helps save lives and gives reassurance to patients 
facing questions about their health. While on the front lines of 
healthcare delivery they are also frequently the first line of 
communication when health problems arise. These healthcare heroes wear 
many hats.
  Providing nurses with the resources they need to deliver quality care 
needs to be a priority. Last week, members of the Emergency Nurses 
Association from Arkansas shared with me one legislative fix to improve 
patient care. Amending the Controlled Substance Act to allow paramedics 
and other emergency medical services professionals to continue to 
administer controlled substances like pain narcotics when allowed by 
State law would improve emergency outcomes, particularly in rural areas 
where a medical facility may be miles away. That is why I cosponsored 
legislation to amend the Controlled Substance Act.
  Nurses are taking on more responsibilities in our evolving healthcare 
system in order to meet the needs of our aging population. They are 
being asked to do more with less and still provide the quality patient 
care they are known for.
  If you are like me and have been cared for by a nurse, you understand 
the important work they do. I am grateful for the care they provide and 
proudly support nurses as a cosponsor of the Senate resolution 
recognizing National Nurses Week.

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