Governor McAuliffe issued a Proclamation recognizing November 12–18, 2017 as NP Week in Virginia. The full text is included below; you may also view it at https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/proclamations/proclamation/2017-nurse-practitioner-week/

2017 Nurse Practitioner Week

11/12/2017

WHEREAS, nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who have advanced clinical education and training building upon their initial registered nurse preparation; and

WHEREAS, NPs serve as trusted frontline providers of healthcare for patients in our state; and

WHEREAS, there are 234,000 licensed nurse practitioners in the United States, and more than 9,700 NPs in Virginia providing primary, acute, and specialty care to patients of all ages and walks of life; and

WHEREAS, NPs diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications and other treatments to patients through a caring, patient-centered, holistic model of care; and

WHEREAS, citizens have great trust in the high-quality care NPs provide, resulting in more than one billion patient visits annually to NPs across the country; and

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

WHEREAS, utilization of NPs promotes a more accessible, efficient, cost-effective, and higher quality health care system; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is proud to recognize and honor the service of NPs to our Commonwealth;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Terence R. McAuliffe, do hereby recognize November 12-18, 2017, as NURSE PRACTITIONER WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.