Submitted Resolutions

Floor Speech

SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - May 10, 2007)

SENATE RESOLUTION 192--RECOGNIZING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK ON MAY 6 THROUGH MAY 12, 2007

Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

S. Res. 192

Whereas, since 2003, National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing;

Whereas National Nurses Week is the time each year when nurses are recognized for the critical role they play in providing safe, high quality, and preventative health care;

Whereas nurses are the cornerstone of the Nation's complex health care system, representing the largest single component of the health care profession, with an estimated 2,900,000 registered nurses in the United States;

Whereas, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2002, a higher proportion of nursing care provided by registered nurses and a greater number of hours of care by registered nurses per day are associated with better outcomes for hospitalized patients;

Whereas nurses are experienced researchers and their work encompasses a wide scope of scientific inquiry including clinical research, health systems and outcomes research, and nursing education research;

Whereas nurses are currently serving the Nation admirably in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan;

Whereas nurses help inform and educate the public to improve the practice of all nurses and, more importantly, the health and safety of the patients they care for;

Whereas our Nation continues to face a nursing shortage unprecedented in its depth and duration, with a projected 1,200,000 new and replacement nurses needed by 2014;

Whereas the nationwide nursing shortage has caused dedicated nurses to work longer hours and care for more acutely ill patients;

Whereas nurses are strong allies to Congress as they help inform, educate, and work closely with legislators to improve the education, retention, recruitment, and practice of all nurses and, more importantly, the health and safety of the patients they care for; and

Whereas nurses are an integral part of the health care delivery team and provide quality care, support, and education to patients and their families, conduct essential research, and serve as strong patient advocates: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) recognizes the significant contributions of nurses to the health care system of the United States;

(2) supports the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, as founded by the American Nurses Association; and

(3) encourages the people of the United States to observe National Nurses Week with appropriate recognition, ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate the importance of nurses to the everyday lives of patients.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my sincere appreciation for the more than 2.9 million nurses in our country. In recognition of National Nurses Week, May 6 through 12, I am pleased to introduce a resolution with Senators Mikulski and Snowe to commemorate this week and the valuable role of nurses nationwide.

Our resolution honors the contributions that nurses make day--after day--on the front lines of patient care. We do not thank nurses as often as we should. Nurses are an invaluable resource not only to our health care system but also to medical research--in health systems and outcomes, in nursing education, and in clinical settings. They serve our Nation admirably in our communities and in our military, including the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nurses do so much for our country, yet one of the biggest challenges facing our health care system today is a shortage of nurses. According to an April 2006 report by the American Hospital Association, we need approximately 118,000 registered nurses to fill vacant positions nationwide. By 2020, there will be a shortfall of more than 1 million nurses.

The problem is not a lack of interest by capable people willing to be trained. The issue is a lack of faculty to educate future nurses. Last year, nursing colleges across the Nation denied admission to more than 40,000 qualified
applicants from entry-level and graduate nursing education programs, including almost 2,000 in my State of Illinois alone. Over 71 percent of the schools surveyed cited the lack of faculty as the primary reason that qualified students were turned away. Nursing schools need the resources to teach and train a new generation of nurses and nurse educators.

This is why I introduced the Nurse Education, Expansion, and Development, or NEED, Act. This act would provide schools of nursing with grants to hire and retain new faculty, purchase educational equipment, enhance clinical laboratories, and repair and expand infrastructure--some of the very problems that keep nursing schools from enrolling additional students today.

The Illinois Nurses Association's theme for National Nurses Week this year is Working Together to Make a Difference, and when it comes to the nursing shortage, we all should adopt this theme. Strengthening nursing schools, increasing the number of graduates, and driving up the quality of care with an adequate supply of nurses depends on all of us working together.

Nurses care for us and our loved ones when we are at our most vulnerable. The difference they make in our lives, their dedication, and their enormous contributions are an important part of our country's strength.

This week--and always--we honor their efforts and thank them for all their work in keeping our Nation healthy and strong.

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