Thank You Representative Edolphus Towns (NY)

Congressman Edolphus Towns (NY)
Congressman Edolphus Towns lends his support for H.R. 4903, The National Nurse Act of 2006 and the following is his statement:

I am pleased to support H.R. 4903, the National Nurse Act of 2006. As you know, the Act amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Nurse within the Office of Public Health and Science to encourage men and women to enter the nursing profession; to encourage nurses to become educators in schools of nursing; and more generally the Act promotes public health through the encouragement of the professional practice of nursing.

I am aware that the supply and demand projections of registered nurses by the Health Resources and Services Administration show shortages in some geographic areas and in other than hospital environments. Other trends show that the demand for RNs in particular could exceed the supply by 2010 by as much as 25 percent. In addition, nursing is among the occupations expected to add the most new jobs over a 10-year period that began in 2000. Given the growing health challenges our nation faces in a wide range of diseases, it is imperative that the Federal government gives leadership to the growth and education of the nursing workforce and the National Nurse Act of 2006 begins this process.

Just one more thing, I am also concerned about the growth and education of minority nurses and I am concerned that as we continue this debate that this concern be included in whatever discussions we have in U.S. House of Representatives.

Contact Your US Representative

To continue building support for the National Nurse Act of 2006, you are encouraged to call or write your US Representaive to urge their cosponsorship of HR 4903. The team has made this easy for you. This is the link to finding your Representative, just insert your email or click on your state.

Here is a sample letter or phone call you can add your own words to.

HR 4903 will establish an Office of the National Nurse to involve all Americans in preventive health practices, complement health services already in place, establish volunteer national nurse teams to deliver educational programs on healthy living in their own communities, and give the nursing profession the national attention it needs to solve the current nursing shortage. Links to the bill are on this webpage.

Please feel free to contact teri@nationalnurse.info if you have any questions and thank you for your support!

Thank You Representative Ted Strickland (OH)

Pictured: Representative Ted Strickland (OH)
Representative Ted Strickland is one of the eight members of the House Health Subcommittee now cosponsoring the National Nurse Act of 2006. He is also a member of the House Nursing Caucus. Here is his statement on HR 4903:

I am proud to offer my support to the National Nurse Act of 2006. Establishing the Office of the National Nurse with H.R. 4309 is a strong step toward meeting some important goals, namely encouraging more individuals to enter this wonderful profession and promoting public health. The nursing shortage is critical, and the Office of the National Nurse will aid in recruiting new nurses as well as encouraging nurses to share their knowledge and experience by teaching in schools of nursing.

The importance of nursing cannot be overstated, and having the Office of the National Nurse will give nurses' priorities the national attention they deserve. I commend Rep. Capps for introducing this legislation.

Here Comes The Sun

The country is basking in 90 to 100 degree temperatures and many of us are headed to the river, lake, or beach. Remember to bring plenty of water or sports drinks with you and drink these even if you are not thirsty.

Do you find yourself at the store staring at the sunscreen display trying to decide which brand to buy? The ideal sunscreen should protect against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays cause premature aging and may also lead to skin cancer, while UVB rays result in skin damaging sunburn.

Experts say the best protection against UVA [rays] is a sunscreen that includes zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone. Consumers should also look for those that are water-resistant and have an SPF of 30 or better, indicating strong protection against UVB rays. UVB protection is found in a sunscreen as the Sun Protection Factor (SPF). A sunscreen should be PABA-free” since these sunscreens can be irritating to the skin.

Sunscreens should be applied liberally and often. Apply enough sunscreen and then reapply it, especially after swimming and sweating. Apply at least an ounce per application 30 minutes before exposure and then reapply every two hours.

Even if you are wearing sunscreen, you should limit time in the sun between 10 am and 4 pm because the atmosphere absorbs less of the harmful UV rays of sunlight than earlier or later in the day. Sunscreen should also be worn when it is hazy.

Wear a wide-brimmed hat, protective clothing, and sunglasses. Finally, never leave children exposed to the sun without adequate protection.

New Evidence-Based Knowledge Portal

"The Evidence Based Knowledge Portal, developed by the Eskind Biomedical Library at Vanderbilt with grant funding (NLM grant number 5R01LM007849), includes tutorials addressing facets of statistical analysis and critiquing the medical literature as
well as virtual practice cases that allow users to explore principles of EBM (e.g. number needed to treat, selection bias) in the context of a clinical scenario. Cases include pre-and post- tests to allow users to gauge their knowledge and progress."

You will need to do a very quick registration in order to obtain a free password and you will also need to download Macromedia flash player if you don't already have it. This is a very user friendly tutorial resource that demystifies lots of research concepts such as the advantages and disadvantages of cohort studies and positive and negative predictive values. The virtual practice cases allow you to utilize and reinforce some of your new principles of research. In addition, this portal offers
a Evidence Summary Generator which allows you to create summaries of articles and evidence in a template format.

The Evidence Based Knowledge Portal at Vanderbilt University welcomes your comments/suggestions

Thank You Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (TX)

Pictured: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (TX)

The 109th Session of the United States Congress marks the 6th term served by U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. She represents the Eighteenth Congressional District of Houston, Texas and serves in the House Committees on the Judiciary, Science, and Homeland Security - a Committee that was made permanent in January 2005 by Congress. In the Committee on the Judiciary, she sits as the Ranking Democrat of its Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims - the only female Ranking Democrat in the Committee. She also sits on the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee believes the nation needs a National Nurse to lead the public to better health through preventive health measures. The primary job of the National Nurse is to educate the public about how to prevent these
diseases and lead healthier lives. The Office of the National Nurse and nurses in each community would be responsible for educating individuals, families, and communities about being healthy and preventing disease -something that is important to our communities.