WHEREAS, nurses make up the largest group of health care professionals in the United States and are an indispensable component of the safety and quality of care of Maine residents; and

WHEREAS, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession meets the different and emerging health care needs of the people of Maine in a wide range of settings, such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, in-patient clinics, and more; and

WHEREAS, the demand for nursing services will be greater than ever because of the aging American population, emerging health challenges, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technologies, and the explosive growth of home health care services; and

WHEREAS, more qualified nurses are needed to safely and compassionately care for Maine people in need of acute and long-term care; and

WHEREAS, with this year’s theme, Nurses Make the Difference, we honor our incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every health care setting;

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Janet T. Mills, Governor of the great State of Maine, do hereby proclaim the week of May 6-12, 2024 as

Nurses Week

throughout the State of Maine, and I urge all citizens to recognize the countless contributions nurses have made and will continue to make to the health and well-being of people in our state.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this seventeenth day of April Two Thousand Twenty-Four