SPONSOR:

Sen. Pettyjohn on behalf of all Senators & Rep. Briggs King on behalf of all Representatives

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

149th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 63

DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF MAY 6-12 AS "NATIONAL NURSES WEEK" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE

WHEREAS, there are approximately 3 million licensed nurses in the United States and over 10,000 in the state of Delaware alone; and

WHEREAS, registered nurses provide unique medical care for numerous American citizens across an array of settings; and

WHEREAS, the American Nurses Association (ANA), which acts to represent the interests of registered nurses in the United States, is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all citizens; and

WHEREAS, a renewed emphasis on primary and preventative health care will require better utilization of all our country’s registered nursing resources; and

WHEREAS, professional nursing is an indispensable component in the safety and quality of care offered to hospitalized patients; and

WHEREAS, the demand for registered nurses is greater now than ever before due to the aging of the American population, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technologies, and the exponential growth of home health care services; and

WHEREAS, more qualified registered nurses will be needed in the future to meet the continually growing complex needs of health care consumers in Delaware and across the country; and

WHEREAS, the cost-effective, safe, and quality health care services provided by registered nurses will be an increasingly important component of the United States health care delivery system in the future; and

WHEREAS, beginning under the Reagan administration, the week beginning on May 6 th and ending on May 12 th , Florence Nightingale’s birthday, is denoted annually as National Nurses Week; and

WHEREAS, the theme for this year’s National Nurses Week is “Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence.”

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of 149th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the week of May 6-12, 2018 be recognized as National Nurses Week to honor the registered nurses in Delaware who care for all Delawareans.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that registered nurses’ accomplishments and efforts to improve our health care system be acknowledged not just during National Nurses Week, but at every opportunity throughout the year.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution designates the week of May 6-12 as "National Nurses Week" in Delaware.

Author: Senator Pettyjohn