1-1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 654 1-2 WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pride in 1-3 joining citizens across the nation in proclaiming May 6 through 1-4 May 12, 1997, National Nurses Week and May 6, 1997, National 1-5 Nurses Day in the State of Texas; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Professional nursing is Texas' largest health care 1-7 profession, and registered nurses form the largest segment of the 1-8 Texas health care workforce, with 130,000 registered nurses 1-9 residing in Texas and over 100,000 actively engaged in professional 1-10 nursing; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Texas' registered nurses care for Texans every day 1-12 by providing high quality nursing care in a variety of settings 1-13 and specialties including emergency care, intensive care, 1-14 medical-surgical, anesthesia, geriatrics, pediatrics, oncology, 1-15 psychiatry, obstetrics-gynecology, and public health; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Advanced practice nurses deliver quality accessible 1-17 and affordable primary and preventive care, often to the elderly, 1-18 poor, rural, and other underserved populations of Texas; and 1-19 WHEREAS, The need for quality nursing care is greater than 1-20 ever because of the aging of the population, the continued growth 1-21 of life-sustaining technology, and the explosive growth of home 1-22 health and other community-based services; and 1-23 WHEREAS, The care and support registered nurses, as direct 2-1 caregivers, provide to patients in a high-tech health care system 2-2 is beyond price; now, therefore, be it 2-3 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 2-4 75th Legislature, hereby recognize May 6 through May 12, 1997, as 2-5 Texas Nurses Week and May 6, 1997, as Texas Nurses Day in order 2-6 to give Texans an opportunity to recognize and praise the exemplary 2-7 dedication and invaluable public service of registered nurses. 2-8 Ellis 2-9 ______________________________________ 2-10 President of the Senate 2-11 I hereby certify that the above 2-12 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 2-13 on May 6, 1997. 2-14 ______________________________________ 2-15 Secretary of the Senate 2-16 ______________________________________ 2-17 Member, Texas Senate