| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The observance of Texas Black Nurses Day on |
|
|
March 29, 2023, serves as an opportunity to highlight the |
|
|
contributions of Black nurses and to raise awareness of the |
|
|
importance of diversity in the nursing profession; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Although the nursing workforce in the state of Texas |
|
|
remains predominately Caucasian, the number of Black nurses in |
|
|
Texas has grown to more closely mirror statewide demographics; |
|
|
according to statistics compiled by the Texas Board of Nursing in |
|
|
2019, Black nurses represent around 14 percent of the total number |
|
|
of registered and licensed vocational nurses in Texas; Black |
|
|
individuals also constitute over 11 percent of our state's |
|
|
registered nurses, compared to 6.7 percent of registered nurses |
|
|
nationwide, and further represent 17.8 percent of faculty in |
|
|
registered nursing pre-licensure programs throughout the state; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, As Texas becomes increasingly more diverse, there is |
|
|
a greater need for a diverse nursing workforce with the ability to |
|
|
provide quality, culturally informed patient care to a variety of |
|
|
populations; a growing body of research supports the benefits, |
|
|
including improved patient care and cost savings, from having a |
|
|
health care workforce that more closely resembles the population it |
|
|
serves; compared to their White counterparts, Black nurses are more |
|
|
likely to practice in underserved areas with a larger percentage of |
|
|
Black families and are also more likely to accept patients who are |
|
|
covered by Medicaid, thus helping to bring their communities closer |
|
|
to achieving health equity; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The Black nurses of our state have earned our |
|
|
deepest gratitude for the tremendous skill and passion they have |
|
|
demonstrated and for their noble commitment to the health and |
|
|
well-being of their patients, and it is indeed fitting that a |
|
|
special day be set aside to honor them; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby recognize March 29, 2023, as Texas Black Nurses |
|
|
Day and commend Black nurses across the Lone Star State for the |
|
|
compassion, expertise, and professionalism they bring to their |
|
|
vocation. |