November 10 - 16, 2019: Nurse Practitioner Week

WHEREAS, nurse practitioners (NPs) serve as trusted frontline health care providers for patients in our state; and,

 

WHEREAS, in addition to diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions, NPs focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and health education and counseling, guiding patients to make smarter health and lifestyle choices; and,

 

WHEREAS, the confidence that patients have in NP-delivered health care is evidenced by the more than one billion annual patient visits made to NPs across the country; and,

 

WHEREAS, NPs are highly skilled practitioners with advanced education and clinical training built upon their initial registered nurse preparation; and,

 

WHEREAS, there are more than 270,000 licensed NPs in the United States, and 8,449 in Michigan providing primary, acute, and specialty care to patients of all ages and walks of life; and,

 

WHEREAS, more than five decades of research demonstrates the high quality of care provided by NPs; and,

 

WHEREAS, better utilization of NPs through modernized state laws and improved system policies creates better health through a more accessible, efficient, cost-effective, and higher quality health care system; and,

 

WHEREAS, many states, including Michigan have recently updated their licensure and practice regulations for NPs, granting improved recognition of and patient access to the outstanding care offered by these health care providers;

 

WHEREAS, leading governmental and policy entities including the National Academy of Medicine, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, National Governors Association, and Federal Trade Commission have taken notice of the benefits and high quality of nurse practitioner care;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim November 10-16, 2019, as Nurse Practitioner Week in Michigan in recognition of the countless contributions nurse practitioners have made over the past half century and will continue to make to the health and well-being of citizens in our state.