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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Nurse practitioners contribute immeasurably to the |
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| 6 | 7 | | health and wellness of countless people in the State of Texas, many |
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| 7 | 8 | | of whom turn to nurse practitioners for their primary care needs; |
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| 8 | 9 | | and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Nurse practitioners are health care providers with |
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| 10 | 11 | | the expertise to order and perform diagnostic tests, diagnose and |
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| 11 | 12 | | treat acute and chronic conditions, and prescribe medications and |
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| 12 | 13 | | other treatments; to become nurse practitioners, registered nurses |
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| 13 | 14 | | must undergo a rigorous process of national certification, and they |
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| 14 | 15 | | are subject to periodic peer review and evaluation to ensure that |
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| 15 | 16 | | they adhere to a high standard of practice; nurse practitioners |
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| 16 | 17 | | must also complete a master's degree program, and an increasing |
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| 17 | 18 | | number hold doctorates as well; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, These qualified medical professionals attend to the |
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| 19 | 20 | | health care needs of people in a diverse range of health care |
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| 20 | 21 | | settings, which include hospitals, private offices, schools, state |
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| 21 | 22 | | and local health departments, urgent and long-term care facilities, |
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| 22 | 23 | | and retail-based clinics; nearly one-fifth of them practice in |
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| 23 | 24 | | rural areas with populations of fewer than 25,000 people, providing |
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| 24 | 25 | | quality care where access might otherwise be limited; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, In addition to the clinical services that they |
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| 26 | 27 | | offer, nurse practitioners are trained to advise clients on disease |
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| 27 | 28 | | prevention and assist them in making informed health and lifestyle |
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| 28 | 29 | | choices; this holistic approach is shown to help lower overall |
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| 29 | 30 | | costs and result in fewer emergency room visits and shorter |
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| 30 | 31 | | hospital stays for patients who choose nurse practitioners as their |
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| 31 | 32 | | primary care providers; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, Currently, there are more than 200,000 licensed |
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| 33 | 34 | | nurse practitioners in the United States, and over 13,000 are |
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| 34 | 35 | | estimated to be practicing in Texas; at a time when the state is |
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| 35 | 36 | | facing a significant and growing shortage of health professionals, |
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| 36 | 37 | | nurse practitioners are ideally positioned to help alleviate the |
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| 37 | 38 | | overburdened medical system, particularly in underserved areas |
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| 38 | 39 | | that stand to benefit most from their presence; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, With the expert care and personalized treatment that |
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| 40 | 41 | | they administer every day, nurse practitioners play an |
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| 41 | 42 | | indispensable role in health care delivery, and this special |
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| 42 | 43 | | observance provides an opportunity to extend appreciation to those |
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| 43 | 44 | | individuals who choose this demanding yet vital profession; now, |
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| 44 | 45 | | therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 46 | 47 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 11, 2015, as Nurse |
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| 47 | 48 | | Practitioner Day at the State Capitol and commend nurse |
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| 48 | 49 | | practitioners for the health care services they provide. |
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