Whereas, beginning in 1991, National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Recognition Day for Nurses , through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing; Whereas, in 2020, National Nurses Week falls within the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, as designated by the World Health Organization; Whereas National Nurses Week is a time of year to reflect on the important contributions that nurses make to provide safe, high-quality health care; Whereas nurses serve on the front lines, risking their lives treating the injured and sick during wartime, natural disasters, and pandemics, including the COVID–19 pandemic; Whereas nurses are known to be patient advocates, acting to protect the lives of individuals under their care; Whereas nurses represent the largest single component of the health care professions, with an estimated population of more than 4,000,000 registered nurses in the United States; Whereas nurses are leading in the delivery of quality care in a transformed health care system that improves patient outcomes and safety; Whereas the Future of Nursing report of the Institute of Medicine has called for the nursing profession to meet the call for leadership in a team-based delivery model; Whereas, when nurse staffing levels increase, the risk of patient complications and lengthy hospital stays decreases, resulting in cost savings; Whereas nurses are experienced researchers, and the work of nurses encompasses a wide scope of scientific inquiry, including clinical research, health systems and outcomes research, and nursing education research; Whereas nurses provide care that is sensitive to the cultures and customs of individuals across the United States; Whereas nurses are well-positioned to provide leadership to eliminate health care disparities that exist in the United States