Washington State Nurses Association

The Fall 2024 issue of Washington Nurse is out! https://lnkd.in/gVxRZhMq In this issue, see how far we’ve come since 1908 with a timeline that brings history to life. Also, a voter’s guide for Washington nurses, the five stages of clinical competence, how to avoid hospital-acquired pressure injuries, meet the Labor Executive Council, and so much more.

WSNA’s annual Lobby Day event in Olympia will be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. This event is for WSNA members only and registration is required to attend. To keep updated on developing details including our 2025 legislative agenda, please register and save your spot now. Registration closes on December 27, 2024: wsna.org/lobbyday

Wonderful op-ed by WSNA member Kathleen Thompson, a nurse at Providence VNA Home Health, on why voting NO on I-2124 is essential to the health and well-being of our residents. "...When I speak to younger adults, they can’t envision a time where this could be them. The term “long-term care” conjures an image of very elderly people in a nursing home. But the fact is 40% of people who need help with daily living activities as a result of a serious injury, illness or disease are under the age of 65. And most people don’t need 24/7 care. They need the support of a home care aide, modifications like grab bars, a ramp, walk-in shower or medical equipment like a wheelchair or hospital bed. These are examples of support that our state’s long-term care benefits will help us pay for..." More than 140 organizations, including AARP, the Washington State Nurses Association, the League of Women Voters, the National MS Society, and others who advocate for workers, retirees and patients oppose I-2124. https://lnkd.in/gpt8cbmg

Letter to the editor questions the closure of the Family Birth Center at Virginia Mason. "I hope The Seattle Times is digging deeper into the reasons behind the decision by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to close its birth center at Virginia Mason Medical Center in downtown Seattle....

We had a lot to say about this closure at Virgina Mason Medical Center. And we are not done. An excerpt: “WSNA is very concerned for your fellow staff nurses and about this trend in Washington of hospitals closing their labor and delivery services and the impact on the communities they serve,” the state nurses union said to members in a Wednesday post on its website. In a separate statement sent to The Seattle Times, WSNA leaders added that they would like to see more regulatory oversight before “any closing of a service line to review and address” impacts. “We need to ensure that vital services to Washington’s communities are maintained and that workers and communities receive adequate notice when services are to be closed,” the WSNA statement said. “This closing sharply illustrates that need.”

We love this.

Can you envision yourself teaching nursing students? Jumpstart your journey with a free “So You Want To Be a Professor” online workshop offered by the Washington Center for Nursing from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24. Nurses and nursing students from underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to participate. Learn more and register at https://lnkd.in/d_t3hRQ 

Register now for a webinar on Nurses Advancing Health Equity, which will include a brief update from WSNA. This free online event will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21. This webinar meets the new Washington state Health Equity Continuing Education requirement for registered nurse licensure renewal in 2026. Two CNE contact hours available.

Providence wants the community to believe that the closure of their adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit at Sacred Heart in Spokane, Washington will not negatively impact the community and patients they once served. This is simply not true.

Happy Labor Day to nurses in Washington and all over the country, especially those working during this holiday. Your hard work, dedication and compassion make a world of difference. Thanks for all you do!