WHEREAS, nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice registered nurses who hold master’s and often doctoral degrees, as well as extensive clinical training in the diagnosis and management of common and complex medical conditions; and

WHEREAS, NPs provide high-quality primary, acute, and specialty care services while focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and counseling, as well as guiding patients to make informed health and lifestyle choices every day; and

WHEREAS, psychiatric-mental health NPs, the second-largest group of behavioral health professionals in the United States, are projected to increase in supply by 62 percent by 2030 to help meet the growing demand for mental health and substance use services through patient assessment, education, medication management, and treatment planning; and

WHEREAS, NPs work to expand access to care for Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens, reduce health care disparities, and treat both physical and mental health conditions; and

WHEREAS, there are more than 431,000 licensed NPs in the United States, including nearly 20,000 licensed NPs in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, more than 4,600 NPs in Virginia practice with autonomous licenses, thereby increasing access to patient care throughout the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the confidence that patients have in NP-delivered care is evidenced by more than one billion visits made annually to nurse practitioners across the country; and

WHEREAS, nearly six decades of research demonstrate the high quality of care provided by NPs; and

WHEREAS, better utilization of NPs through modernized state laws and improved system policies strengthens health outcomes through a more accessible, efficient, cost-effective, and higher-quality health care system;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize November 9–15, 2025, as NURSE PRACTITIONER WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.