Congresswoman Doris Matsui Honors National Nurses Week and Recognizes Vital Role of Nurses in Our Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
CONTACT: Alexis Marks or Mara Lee
(202) 225-7163
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) was pleased to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the thousands of nurses that serve our country everyday by recognizing National Nurses Week, which begins today and lasts through May 12th, 2009.
"Throughout Sacramento, we are lucky to have nurses working tirelessly to save lives and maintain the health of our loved ones," said Rep Matsui. "Nurses play a vital role in advancing the wellbeing of our communities and our nation. As we have seen recently with the spread of the H1N1 virus, nurses are on the frontlines in our hospitals and our schools, working for the people of Sacramento in times of calm and times of crisis."
Congresswoman Matsui also noted that Sacramento is home to the Sacramento City College Nursing Program, UC Davis Medical Center, the UC Davis Medical School, and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing; all of which help Sacramento recruit, train, and retain some of the country's best nurses. And this year Sacramento State's College of Health and Human Services will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Division of Nursing.
"There has never been a better time to be a nurse," said Heather Young, Dean of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, a registered nurse, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Nursing of the UC Davis Health System. "Not only are more registered nurses needed to meet increasing demand, but nurses are in an ideal position to lead the way to health in the future."
National Nurses Week is celebrated annually beginning on May 6, the birthday of Florence Nightingale and founder of modern nursing. The week is a time to acknowledge the tremendous service of nurses throughout the country. National Nurses Week is sponsored by the American Nurses Association (ANA). ###