ENROLLED Page 1 of 2 Regular Session, 2014 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 118 BY REPRESENTATIVE WILLMOTT A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON To recognize the week of May 6 through 12, 2014, as National Nurses Week in Louisiana. WHEREAS, Louisiana's fifty-seven thousand registered nurses and the nearly three million one hundred thousand registered nurses in the United States comprise our state's and the nation's largest healthcare profession; and WHEREAS, the depth and breadth of the registered nursing profession meets the different and emerging healthcare needs of the American population in a wide range of settings; and WHEREAS, the Louisiana State Nurses Association, as the voice for the registered nurses of this state, is working to chart a new course for a healthy Louisiana that relies on increasing delivery of primary and preventive health care; and WHEREAS, a renewed emphasis on primary and preventive health care will require the better utilization of all of our nation's registered nursing resources; and WHEREAS, professional nursing is an indispensable component in the safety and quality of care of hospitalized patients; and WHEREAS, the demand for registered nursing services is greater than ever due to the aging of the American population, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technology, and the rapid pace of growth in home healthcare services; and WHEREAS, more qualified registered nurses will be needed in the future to meet the increasingly complex needs of healthcare consumers in all communities of our state; and WHEREAS, the safe, cost-effective healthcare services provided by registered nurses are consistently of the highest quality, and will be an ever more important component of the United States healthcare delivery system in the future; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 118 Page 2 of 2 WHEREAS, along with the Louisiana State Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association has declared the week of May 6 through 12 as National Nurses Week with the theme "Nurses: Leading the Way"; and WHEREAS, National Nurses Week celebrates all of the ways in which registered nurses strive to provide safe and high-quality patient care and lead the way to improvements in our healthcare system. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby proclaim May 6 through 12, 2014, to be National Nurses Week in Louisiana. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby encourage all residents of this state to join together in honoring the registered nurses who care for all of us. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize and commend the notable accomplishments of the registered nursing profession and its efforts to improve our healthcare system, and does hereby express sincere appreciation for the nation's registered nurses not just during this week, but at every opportunity throughout the year. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the executive director of the Louisiana State Nurses Association. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE