U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on May 10 introduced a bipartisan, bicameral resolution recognizing National Nurses Week.
“I’m proud to join my colleagues in celebrating National Nurses Week and ask everyone in Ohio to join me in thanking the health care heroes in our communities for all that they have done and continue to do,” said Rep. Joyce, a co-chairman of the Congressional Nursing Caucus.
Rep. Joyce signed on as an original cosponsor of House Resolution 1100 with sponsor U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and 41 other original cosponsors, while Sen. Wicker led 27 original cosponsors to propose the companion Senate Resolution 626 alongside sponsor U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), according to the congressional record.
“Nurses serve at the frontlines of our healthcare system,” Sen. Wicker said in a statement. “This resolution signals our immense gratitude for these hard-working professionals in our communities.”
If enacted, the resolution would support the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, to be observed from May 6 through May 12, according to the text of the resolution, which notes that May 12 marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
The resolution also recognizes the significant contributions of nurses to the United States healthcare system and encourages Americans to observe National Nurses Week “with appropriate recognition, ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate the importance of nurses to the everyday lives of patients,” the text says.
“The past two years were a stark reminder that nurses don’t just deliver life-saving care to their patients, they willingly put themselves in harm’s way to do so,” Rep. Joyce said. “As the proud husband of a nurse, I’ve seen this dedication and compassion firsthand and continue to be in awe of it.”