HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 20

DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF MAY AS "NATIONAL NURSES MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, there are over 4 million licensed nurses in the United States and over 25,000 in the state of Delaware alone; and

WHEREAS, in May 2019 the World Health Assembly (World Health Organization) designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in honor of 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and in recognition of the critical contribution these professions make to global health; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization and the American Nurses Association joined in extending the Year of the Nurse and Midwife into 2021 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the American Nurses Association extended the traditional celebration of Nurses Week from May 6 ^th through May 12 ^th , Florence Nightingale’s birthday, into a month-long celebration of Nurses; and

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

WHEREAS, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, along with other health professionals, have made significant sacrifices and strides in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic in Delaware; and

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

WHEREAS, the Delaware Nurses Association (DNA), and its’ organizational Affiliates, the Delaware Organization for Nurse Leaders (DONL) and Delaware Diamond Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society, which act to represent the interests of all licensed Delaware nurses 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 and licensed practical nursing resources; and

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

WHEREAS, through national polls, American citizens have ranked the nursing profession as the profession with the highest ethical standards and honesty for 19 years in a row; and

WHEREAS, the demand for registered nurses and licensed practical 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 and licensed practical 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 and licensed practical nurses will be an increasingly important component of the United States health care delivery system in the future; and

WHEREAS, the theme for this year’s National Nurses Month is “Nurses Make a Difference.”

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 151st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the month of May 2021 be recognized as National Nurses Month to honor the registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in Delaware who care for all Delawareans.

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

SYNOPSIS

This resolution designates the month of May as "National Nurses Month" in Delaware.