Thanking and promoting the professions of perinatal nurses by encouraging participation in National Perinatal Nurses Week.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 1190 Thanking and promoting the professions of perinatal nurses by encouraging participation in National Perinatal Nurses Week. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 13, 2020 Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Thanking and promoting the professions of perinatal nurses by encouraging participation in National Perinatal Nurses Week. Whereas perinatal nurses work with patients who are at- tempting to become pregnant, are currently pregnant, or have recently delivered; Whereas perinatal nurses provide prenatal care and testing, care of patients experiencing pregnancy complications, care during labor and delivery, and care of patients fol- lowing delivery; Whereas perinatal nursing includes labor and delivery nurses, mother-baby nurses, and neonatal nurses; Whereas continuous support during labor from a registered nurse is critical to achieve improved birth outcomes; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 Oct 14, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1190.IH HR1190 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 1190 IH Whereas there has been a persistent shortage of nurses across all fields, while demand continues to grow; Whereas mothers are dying in the United States at the high- est rate in the developed world, and the crisis is most se- vere for Black mothers; Whereas nurses are positioned to provide unique insight into patient care circumstances that may contribute to wom- en’s deaths, thereby reducing the rate of and disparity in maternal mortality; Whereas October, the 10th month of the year, was chosen to celebrate National Perinatal Nurses Week to represent an Apgar score of 10; Whereas Apgar is the point system used to evaluate the health of a newborn baby, with 10 representing the healthiest possible score for a baby, and this score would be assigned and recorded by the perinatal nurse attend- ing the birth; Whereas the 10th day of the month of October was chosen to begin National Perinatal Nurses Week in order to rep- resent 10 centimeters dilated, the measurement used to evaluate a woman’s progress in labor; Whereas 10 centimeters dilated constitutes complete cervical dilation, the successful completion of the first phase of labor when a woman is ready to deliver her baby, and this progress would be supported and recorded by the perinatal nurse attending the birth; and Whereas the week of October 10, 2020, through October 17, 2020, is set aside to celebrate National Perinatal Nurses Week to raise public awareness of and celebrate the 350,000 perinatal nurses who are clinically active in hos- VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 Oct 14, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1190.IH HR1190 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 1190 IH pitals, perinatal facilities, and health centers: Now, there- fore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives thanks 1 and promotes the professions of perinatal nurses by en- 2 couraging patients, hospital administrators, health care 3 professionals, policymakers, and others to become more fa- 4 miliar with the contributions of perinatal nurses by par- 5 ticipating in National Perinatal Nurses Week. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 Oct 14, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR1190.IH HR1190 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS