RESOLUTION NO. 250386
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Sponsor: Councilmember Crispin Rea
RESOLUTION - Recognizing National Nurses Week and honoring the University Health Nursing Staff.
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WHEREAS, National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 through May 12, ending on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. During this week we recognize the invaluable contributions of nurses as well as the adversity they face but endure to provide care for and building trust with their patients; and
WHEREAS, there are approximately 13,000 registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, certified registered nurse anesthetists, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants in addition to nearly 3,000 nursing students in the Kansas City region, making them the largest and most trusted segment of the health care workforce; and
WHEREAS, despite challenges; including health crises, nationwide nursing shortages, rising incidents of workplace violence, and threats to the healthcare ecosystem, nurses throughout Kansas City and the region tirelessly work to ensure the best possible outcomes for their patients. They serve not only as skilled clinicians but also as empathetic companions to patients and families on what is often the worst or the best day of someone’s life; and
WHEREAS, University Health, the city’s only true safety-net hospital, employs nearly 2,500 nursing staff members who are essential to patients’ receiving the highest quality, often life-saving care regardless of who they are, where they come from, or if they have the best insurance or none at all. UH nurses are trained advocates for all the health system’s patient population but instinctively advocate for those patients from our most underinvested communities inside and outside the walls of the hospital; and
WHEREAS, this week University Health celebrates all members of its nursing staff and their commitment to the patients of which they serve. The health system also acknowledges the rich history of the nursing profession at its institution dating back to the conception of what was the segregated General Hospital #1 and #2 to what became the desegregated Truman Medical Center to what it is today, University Health. From Tuskegee Army nurses to nurses at the city’s only Level 1 trauma center, from nurses who bring care to the patients in the community to the nurses who provide emergency response services on our darkest days, the nursing legacy at University Health is rooted in patient-centered care and is essential to the accessible and equitable healthcare for all residents; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the Mayor and Council hereby extend their appreciation to University Health’s Nursing team for their role in serving the community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that a copy hereof be presented to Amy McTaggart, Chief Nursing Officer in token of the Mayor and Council’s recognizing the contributions of University Health.
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