IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 315 
Expressing support for the designation of the week of May 6 through May 
12, 2017, as National Nurses Week. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 4, 2017 
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. 
JOYCE of Ohio, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. CLAY, Mrs. COMSTOCK, Ms. SEWELL 
of Alabama, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Il-
linois, and Ms. LOFGREN) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of the week of May 
6 through May 12, 2017, as National Nurses Week. 
Whereas since 1991, National Nurses Week is celebrated an-
nually from May 6, also known as National Recognition 
Day for Nurses, through May 12, the birthday of Flor-
ence 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 pro-
vide 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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•HRES 315 IH 
Whereas nurses represent the largest segment of the health 
care workforce, with an estimated population of 
3,600,000 registered nurses in the United States; 
Whereas nurses are leading in the delivery of quality care in 
a transformed health care system that improves patient 
outcomes and safety; 
Whereas the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report 
has called for the nursing profession to meet the call for 
leadership in a team-based delivery model; 
Whereas nurses consistently deliver high-quality care with 
positive patient outcomes when they are allowed to work 
to the full extent of their education and training; 
Whereas when nurse staffing levels increase, the risk of pa-
tient complications and length of hospital stays decrease, 
resulting in cost savings; 
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 provide culturally and ethnically competent 
care and are educated to be sensitive to regional and 
community customs of persons needing care; 
Whereas nurses are well-positioned to provide leadership to 
eliminate health care disparities that exist in the Nation; 
Whereas nurses are the cornerstone of the public health in-
frastructure, promoting healthy lifestyles and educating 
communities on disease prevention and health promotion; 
Whereas nurses are strong allies to Congress as they help in-
form, educate, and work closely with legislators to im-
prove the education, retention, recruitment, and practice 
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of all nurses and, more importantly, the health and safety 
of the patients they care for; 
Whereas increased Federal and State investment is needed to 
support programs such as the Nursing Workforce Devel-
opment Programs (title VIII of the Public Health Service 
Act), which bolster the nursing workforce at all levels, to 
increase the number of doctorally prepared faculty mem-
bers, and to educate more nurse research scientists who 
can discover new nursing care models to improve the 
health status of the Nation’s diverse population; 
Whereas nurses touch lives of United States citizens from 
birth to the end of life; and 
Whereas nurses have been voted as the Nation’s most honest 
and ethical profession for the past 15 years: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals, and the des-
ignation, of National Nurses Week, as founded by 
the American Nurses Association; 
(2) recognizes the significant contributions of 
nurses to the health care system of the United 
States; 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 every-
day lives of patients. 
Æ 
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