US Senator Bill Nelson
Hart Senate Office Building, Room 716
120 Constitution Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20510-0905
                                                                                                                                                                              June 15, 2015

Dear US Senator Nelson,
           I am writing to you as a Registered Nurse, a citizen, and inevitably a future patient of the healthcare system to ask for your participation and support in cosponsoring, H.R. 2713, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act.

         As a Registered Nurse, I can attest to essential role that the nursing field provides in delivering quality client-centered and compassionate care. We are the backbone of the healthcare field. From hospitals to nursing homes, to home health care agencies and hospice services, nurses can be found in countless positions providing cost effective and holistic care to the community in a way that no other healthcare profession can. We are the hands that heal, the ears that listen, the voices of advocacy and the presence that brings comfort in the time of death.  Without RNs and other Advance Practice Registered Nurses(APRNs), the healthcare system would cease to exist and that is why I ask you to cosponsor the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act.

           Under this act, Nursing Workforce Development programs have been created to support and fund education, recruitment, and retention of RNs and APRNs. I was fortunate enough to be a recipient of the Nurse Corps Scholarship, which is funded under this act. This scholarship afforded me the opportunity to fully commit to nursing school in way that allowed me to build a strong foundation of nursing education. Words cannot express how thankful I am each and every day when providing care to patients that I was able to develop a strong nursing education. The Nurse Corps Scholarship gave me the chance to become the best nurse that I could be by providing funding for school and living expenses. All nurses and potential nurses should have the same opportunities in building a strong education as it is invaluable to the health of our nation.

       I do not know about you, Senator Nelson, but when the day comes that I need to receive care from the healthcare system, I want it to be from the best nurses possible, ones that have education, experience, and the compassion to provide care. Title VIII funding will provide education funding for the future of our healthcare system, a future that cannot possibly provide optimal care to its patients without the support of the federal government. Please cosponsor H.R. 2713, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act as the future depends on it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and considering my request.

Sincerely,

Chester Wheeler, R.N.
933 Kringle Ln

Inverness, Fl 34453