IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1261 

Recognizing National Nurses Week. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2010 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Mrs. CAPPS, Mrs. 

MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mrs. 

MALONEY, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. RICHARDSON, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. ROSS, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. 

KENNEDY, and Ms. MARKEY of Colorado) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing National Nurses Week. 

Whereas since 1990, National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Recognition 

Day for Nurses, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing; 

Whereas National Nurses Week is a time of year to reflect 

on the important contributions that nurses make to provide safe, high-quality health care; 

Whereas nurses are known to be patient advocates, acting 

fearlessly to protect the lives of those under their care; 


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Whereas nurses represent the largest single component of the 

health care profession with 3,100,000 jobs; 

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 best positioned to provide leadership to 

eliminate health care disparities that exist in the United 

States; 

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 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing 

(AACN) released final survey data show that enrollments 

in entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing rose by 

3.6 percent in 2009, and though this marks the ninth 

consecutive year of enrollment growth, the annual increase in student capacity in 4-year nursing programs 

has declined sharply since 2003 when enrollment was up 

by 16.6 percent; 

Whereas United States nursing programs were forced to reject almost 119,000 qualified applications to nursing programs according to the National League for Nursing’s 

most recent survey of all prelicensure nursing programs; 

Whereas according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 

employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 

22 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations; 

Whereas according to new survey data by the AACN, enrollment in doctoral nursing programs increased by more 

than 20 percent this year, signaling strong interest 


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among students in careers as nursing scientists, faculty, 

primary care providers, and specialists; 

Whereas according to the AACN, expanding capacity in baccalaureate and graduate programs is critical to sustaining a healthy nursing workforce and providing patients with the best care possible; 

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

acutely ill patients; 

Whereas nurse educators work on average more than 57 

hours per week in order to ensure that each and every 

new registered nurse receives an excellent education, advancing excellence among the next generation of nurses; 

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 increased Federal and State support is needed to 

enhance existing programs and create new programs to 

educate nursing students at all levels, to increase the 

number of faculty members to educate nursing students, 

to create clinical sites and have the appropriately prepared nurses to teach and train at those sites, to create 

educational opportunities to retain nurses in the profession, and to educate and train more nurse research scientists who can discover new nursing: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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1 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 

2 Nurses Week, as founded by the American Nurses 

3 Association; 

4 (2) acknowledges the importance of quality 

5 higher education in nursing, including baccalaureate 

6 and graduate programs, to meet the needs of one of 

7 the Nation’s fastest growing labor fields; and 

8 (3) supports the nurse capacity initiatives for 

9 institutions of higher education included in the 

10 Higher Education Opportunity Act. 

Æ 


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