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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, May 12th marked the 200th anniversary of the birth
3of Florence Nightingale, a woman whose trailblazing spirit laid
4the foundation for nurses to be recognized for their work
5today; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Florence Nightingale was born in Italy to a
7wealthy aristocratic family on May 12, 1820, and she grew up in
8England; as a teenager, she felt a strong desire to become a
9nurse, although the profession was not considered respectable
10in Victorian society; despite her family's disapproval, she
11educated herself in arts and science and gained some nursing
12experience in Germany; and
 
13    WHEREAS, During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale was
14appointed to lead 38 volunteer nurses at a military hospital in
15Scutari, in modern-day Turkey, in November 1854; she
16encountered horrible conditions, surrounded by unclean
17hospital wards and more soldiers dying of diseases than from
18battle wounds; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Florence Nightingale remained steadfast, taking
20several measures to improve sanitation and hygiene at the
21hospital, including washing the linens, purchasing necessary
22kitchen supplies, and emphasizing handwashing with soap and

 

 

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1water, which was not widely practiced at the time; she was
2noted for caring for both common soldiers and officers equally;
3she earned her famous moniker "Lady with the Lamp" for checking
4on her patients by lamplight, often writing letters to their
5loved ones at home on their behalf; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Despite Florence Nightingale's efforts, the
7mortality rate continued to rise through 1855; she had
8mistakenly believed that nutrition and supply problems were the
9main cause of death, but poor sanitation and contaminated water
10were the more lethal culprits; she returned to Britain in 1856;
11she had learned from her experience, developing better sanitary
12practices in addition to more efficient hospital planning and
13design; and
 
14    WHEREAS, For the next 50 years of her life, Florence
15Nightingale prioritized the establishment of nursing as a
16respected profession; she wrote a book titled Notes on Nursing
17in 1859 that was written in simple language intended for women
18who were providing nursing care in the home to understand, and
19it is still regarded as a pioneering text; she also set up the
20world's first training school for nurses in 1860, which still
21runs today; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Florence Nightingale's bicentennial comes at a
23poignant time for nurses as they stand on the front lines of

 

 

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1the COVID-19 pandemic; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Nurses play a critical role in health promotion,
3disease prevention, and the delivery of care in all settings;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Illinois has 185,992 registered nurses living and
6working in the State, of which 13,746 are also licensed as
7advanced practice registered nurses, and 24,763 licensed
8practical nurses, making nursing the largest licensed health
9care profession; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The care provided by nurses in Illinois is the
11primary component to a successful health care delivery system;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, The inherent sense of duty nurses possess has been
14on full display in Illinois; they continue to serve as their
15patients' last line of defense, to adapt at a moment's notice
16as treatments and practices evolve to better combat COVID-19,
17and to champion the need to be with patients until the very end
18at the risk of their own health and lives; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21we commend nurses for continuing the legacy of Florence

 

 

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1Nightingale in their continued care of patients and for their
2resolve during the COVID-19 pandemic; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we recognize the vital role of nurses in
4promoting and providing health care to the residents of
5Illinois; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to Advocate Aurora Health, Amita Health, Loyola
8University Medical Center, Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola
9University Chicago, Rush University Health, Academy of Medical
10Surgical Nurses Chicago Chapter #317, the Illinois Nurses
11Foundation, Lewis University College of Nursing and Health
12Science, all colleges and trading schools that offer nursing
13programs in the state of Illinois, and Illinois museums and
14libraries.