WHEREAS, registered nurses in the United States constitute our nation’s largest health care profession, and there are more than 150,000 registered nurses in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Nurses Association, as the voice for registered nurses in this state, is working to chart a new course for a healthy state that relies on increasing access to primary and preventive health care, and better utilization of all our nation’s registered nursing resources; and
WHEREAS, professional nursing is an indispensable component of the safety and quality of care of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, the demand for registered nursing services will be greater than ever because of the aging of the American population, emerging health challenges, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technologies, and the explosive growth of home health care services; and
WHEREAS, more qualified registered nurses are needed in the future to meet the increasingly complex needs of health care consumers in this community; and
WHEREAS, the cost-effective, safe, and high-quality health care services provided by registered nurses will be an increasingly important component of the United States health care delivery system in the future; and
WHEREAS, along with the American Nurses Association, the North Carolina Nurses Association has declared May as Nurses Month, with the theme “You Make a Difference,” with appreciation for nurses’ unparalleled impact during the pandemic, and their contributions to health care, and an open invitation to #ThankaNurse for enriching our lives and the world we live in;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 6 – 12, 2023, as “NORTH CAROLINA NURSES WEEK” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.