WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, and across the country, concerns about an increasing nursing shortage continue to grow; and

WHEREAS, A number of factors contribute to the growing shortages in qualified personnel; and

WHEREAS, The way care is delivered has changed dramatically over the last decade thereby increasing the demand for and the demands upon qualified nursing personnel; and

WHEREAS, Changes in society and the greater availability of employment opportunities in nursing and alternative professions have made it difficult for employers of nurses to recruit and retain qualified nursing personnel; and

WHEREAS, The current shortage is expected to worsen because of declines in nursing school enrollments and the significant number of nurses expected to retire over the next decade; and

WHEREAS, Health care facilities serving the citizens of Rhode Island are experiencing increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining nurses to administer to their patients; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the state of Rhode Island hereby requests that the 108^th Congress of the United States of America take measures to reduce the adverse effects of the nursing shortage and approve for passage the Nursing Employment and Education Development Act (NEED Act); and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the members of the Rhode Island delegation to the Congress of the United States.