WHEREAS, The 2.6 million registered nurses in the United States comprise our nation's largest health care profession; and

WHEREAS, The depth and breadth of the registered nursing profession meets the different and emerging health care needs of the American population in a wide range of settings; and

WHEREAS, The American Nurses Association, as the voice for the registered nurses of this country, is working to chart a new course for a healthy nation that relies on increasing delivery of primary and preventative health care; and

WHEREAS, A renewed emphasis on primary and preventive health care will require the better utilization of all of our nation's registered nursing resources; and

WHEREAS, Professional nursing has been demonstrated to be an indispensable component in the safety and quality of care of hospitalized patients; and

WHEREAS, The demand of registered nursing services will be greater than ever because of the aging of the American population, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technology, and the explosive growth of home health care services; and

WHEREAS, That more qualified registered nurses will be needed in the future to meet the increasingly complex needs of health care consumers in this community; and

WHEREAS, The cost-effective, safe and quality health care services provided by registered nurses will be an ever more important component of the United States health care delivery system in the future; and

WHEREAS, Along with the American Nurses Association, the Rhode Island State Nurses Association has declared the week of May 6 - 12 as "NATIONAL NURSES WEEK 2002" with the theme "Nurses Keeping the Care in Health Care" in celebration of the ways in which registered nurses strive to provide safe and high quality patient care and map out the way to improve our health care system; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the citizens of Rhode Island celebrate registered nursing's accomplishments and efforts to improve our health care system and show our appreciation for the nation's registered nurses not just during this week, but at every opportunity throughout the year; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island State Nurses Association.