Vascular Nurses Week

WHEREAS, there are 3.1 million licensed registered nurses in the United States, and vascular nurses comprise an important part of this healthcare group; and

WHEREAS, in addition to providing excellence in direct patient care, vascular nurses participate in vascular research and serve as a valuable resource for policy makers; and

WHEREAS, the Society of Vascular Nursing (SVN) is a professional community of vascular nurses, who advance the care for those persons living with vascular disease through excellence in clinical practice, education, and research; and

WHEREAS, the core values of SVN are to advocate for both vascular nurses and for those persons who live with complex vascular disease; and

WHEREAS, Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a vascular disease in which the arteries supplying a limb (typically one or both legs) are obstructed; sixty percent of PAD patients have coexisting Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) or cerebrovascular disease; and

WHEREAS, people with vascular disease require an interdisciplinary team approach and the vascular nurse is an integral part of this team; the specialized vascular nurse is able to identify the resources required by the vascular patient population and to assist in providing optimal care and compassion:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby proclaim June 9 through 15, 2014, as

Vascular Nurses Week

in the state of the Alabama.