2026 -- S 3274

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LC006451

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CELEBRATING THE WEEK OF MAY 6TH THROUGH MAY 12TH OF 2026, AS

"NATIONAL NURSES WEEK" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senators Lauria, Felag, Tikoian, Appollonio, LaMountain, McKenney,
Sosnowski, Rogers, Famiglietti, and Burke

     Date Introduced: May 08, 2026

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, National Nurses Week is held on May 6th through May 12th in order to

coincide with and celebrate Florence Nightingale's birthday on the 12th. She was a nurse who

became famous for treating wounded soldiers during the Crimean War, and for her efforts in

establishing nursing as a profession. She was affectionately known as "The Lady with the Lamp"

because during the war, she made a lot of her ward rounds at night while carrying a lamp; and

     WHEREAS, This week is a time to acknowledge, honor, and express our heartfelt

gratitude to Rhode Island's brave, dedicated, and determined nurses who day after day and month

after month care for us; and

     WHEREAS, Registered nurses in the United States constitute this Nation's largest

healthcare profession; and

     WHEREAS, The depth and breadth of the registered nursing profession met and

exceeded the different and emerging healthcare needs of the American population during the

COVID-19 pandemic and in a wide range of settings; and

     WHEREAS, The American Nurses Association, celebrating its 130th anniversary as the

voice for registered nurses across this country, is working to chart a new course for a healthy

Nation that relies on increasing delivery of primary and preventive healthcare and requiring better

utilization of all our Nation's registered nursing resources; and

     WHEREAS, Professional nursing has demonstrated itself to be an indispensable

component in providing safety and quality of care for hospitalized and non-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 technologies, the

explosive growth of home healthcare services, and the need to develop coordinated networking to

prevent and contain new and emergent widespread infectious diseases; and

     WHEREAS, More qualified registered nurses will be needed in the future to meet the

increasingly complex needs of healthcare consumers in this country and across the world; and

     WHEREAS, The cost-effective, safe, and high-quality healthcare services provided by

registered nurses will be an increasingly important component of the United States healthcare

delivery system in the future; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby joins the American

Nurses Association in celebrating May 6th through May 12th, 2026, as “National Nurses Week”

with its theme “The Power of Nurses” in appreciation of nurses’ unparalleled impact on our lives

and their contributions to all aspects of health care, and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate moreover urges all the residents of the State to join in

honoring and thanking the registered nurses who have selflessly cared for us all, and to celebrate

their efforts and accomplishments in improving our healthcare system, not just during this week,

but at every opportunity throughout the year; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the American Nurses Association, the United

Nurses & Allied Professionals, and the Rhode Island State Nurses Association.

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