STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
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JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MAY 6 TO MAY 12, 2024
AS NATIONAL NURSES WEEK
WHEREAS, the nearly 5,200,000 registered nurses in the United States constitute our
nation's largest health care profession; and
WHEREAS, the depth and breadth of the registered nursing profession meet the different
and emerging health care needs of our nation's population in a wide range of settings; and
WHEREAS, the American Nurses Association, as the voice for the registered nurses of
our nation, is working to chart a new course for a healthy nation that relies on increasing
delivery of primary and preventive health care; and
WHEREAS, a renewed emphasis on primary and preventive health care will require better
utilization of all of our nation's registered nursing resources; and
WHEREAS, professional nursing has been demonstrated to be an indispensable
component of the safety and quality of care of hospitalized patients; and
WHEREAS, the demand for registered nursing services will be greater than ever as our
nation continues to grapple with the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, an aging
population, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technologies and the explosive growth
of home health care services; and
WHEREAS, more qualified registered nurses will be needed in the future to meet the
increasingly complex needs of health care consumers in the State; and
WHEREAS, the cost-effective, safe and high-quality health care services provided by
registered nurses will be an increasingly important component of the national health care
delivery system in the future; and
WHEREAS, along with the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses
Association – Maine has declared May 6 to May 12, 2024 as National Nurses Week, with the
theme "Nurses Make the Difference" to honor the variety of roles that nurses play in the lives
of their patients. Registered nurses make a difference as trusted advocates to ensure that
patients, their families and their communities receive safe and high-quality care; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Thirty-first Legislature now
assembled in the Second Regular Session, recognize May 6 to May 12, 2024 as National Nurses
Week to celebrate registered nurses' accomplishments and efforts to improve our health care
system and show our appreciation for the nation's registered nurses not just during this week
but at every opportunity throughout the year and ask that all residents of this State join in
honoring the registered nurses who care for all of us.
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