2008 LEGISLATIVE & HEALTH POLICY PLATFORM
The Washington State Nurses Association provides leadership for the nursing profession and promotes quality health care for consumers through education, advocacy, and influencing health care policy in the State of Washington.
NURSING PRACTICE AND EDUCATION
- Support implementation of the Washington State Strategic Plan for Nursing to address the nursing shortage.
- Support Implementation of the Master Plan for Nursing Education in Washington State
- Support nursing's unique role in the delivery of comprehensive and cost-effective quality care.
- Support the principle of individual licensure as mandatory for the practice of registered nursing through completion of a RN education program approved by the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission.
- Encourage specialty certification and advanced practice of nursing.
- Support nursing education funding for:
- Increased access to nursing programs within institutions of higher education and for nursing faculty salaries.
- Specialty certification and advance practice preparation.
- Support funding for:
- Grants and loans to encourage recruitment and retention
- Increasing the diversity of the nursing workforce.
- Nursing research to maximize nursing’s contribution to health.
- Data collection and analysis on the nursing workforce.
- Protect the public by promoting the role and practice of registered nurses across all settings.
ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE
- Support full access to health care for all.
- Support health promotion education and disease prevention as a major focus of the health care system.
- Support efforts to reduce health disparities.
- Support comprehensive services delivered in familiar, accessible and convenient sites such as schools, workplaces and homes, as well as traditional health care settings.
- Ensure access to nursing services that emphasize the role of registered nurses as qualified providers of health care in all practice settings.
- Enhance patient safety through a systems approach for the prevention of medical errors and injuries.
- Support and promote advanced registered nurse practitioners as primary care providers.
FINANCING HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
- Support an equitable tax base which will provide adequate funding for needed social and health services and state agency oversight.
- Ensure funding for state health plans, public health, and public health nursing services.
- Support evidenced based cost containment incentives in the health care delivery system that do not compromise quality of care and that:
- apply to all providers, payors and vendors.
- are based on continued review of the appropriateness of health care services,
- serve to eliminate significant waste and inefficiency.
- Protect dedicated health funding and ensure it is used solely for health services.
HUMAN RIGHTS
- Support the basic right of all people for equity under the law regardless of race, creed, color, gender, age, disability, lifestyle, religion, health status, nationality, or sexual orientation.
- Promote a culturally competent health care system that recognizes and values differences among people.
- Promote education of nurses, other healthcare providers and the general public about the problems of violence, sexual assault and harassment.
ECONOMIC and GENERAL WELFARE
- Promote RN staffing standards to ensure quality patient care and safety for health care providers.
- Endorse and actively support the rights of all employees to participate in the collective bargaining process.
- Support measures, including comparable worth and parity, which promote the economic welfare of all nurses.
- Promote reimbursement policies that support the principle of equal payment for equal services provided.
- Promote and seek enactment of legislation and regulation that protects the economic and employment rights of nurses, including their right to advocate for patients.
- Support measures that create a work environment where nurses are respected, valued, and included in the decision making process.
OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Support research and education for the prevention and treatment of occupational and environmental health problems.
- Support efforts to assure adequate prevention, preparedness, and response to natural, biological and chemical disasters, and acts of terrorism.
- Support legislation and regulation that assures workplace safety and promotes environmental health.
- Support a precautionary approach towards occupational and environmental health.
Adopted by WSNA Board of Directors, November 2007
2008 LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY AGENDA
During the state legislative session, there will be hundreds of health care related bills introduced. WSNA will examine legislative and regulatory proposals that pertain to nursing and health care and revise the agenda as needed. Please check our website, www.wsna.org for updated legislative information throughout the session.
Active Primary Support – Legislation/Regulation that WSNA is initiating, researching, drafting, or working on actively.
Safe RN staffing standards
Funding for nursing workforce data collection and analysis
Funding for RN faculty salaries
Funding for nursing enrollments
Funding for scholarships and loan repayments
Funding for public health and public health nursing
Prohibiting mandatory overtime for RNs
Public health nursing as an essential service in public health
Active Support - Issues not initiated by but are strongly supported by WSNA. These are issues that WSNA is working on in collaboration with other associations and coalitions.
Improving access to quality care
Protect services and increase funding for state health plans including CHIP and BHP
Legislative and regulatory issues of WSNA affiliates and other specialty nursing organizations
Prevention of workplace violence
Mental health funding
Access to affordable prescription drugs
Elimination of persistent environmental toxics
Emergency volunteer immunity
Disaster preparedness
Repeal of 72-hour dispensing restriction for ARNPs
Funding for School Nurses
Active Monitor - Issues that WSNA has not taken a formal position on but is monitoring very closely. WSNA will decide whether to support or oppose depending on the exact language of the legislation.
Access to affordable liability insurance and Tort Reform
Regulatory Reform
Criminal background checks
Individual & small group insurance market reform
Changes to the Uniform Disciplinary Act
Medical/medication errors
Budget
Medicaid changes/reforms
Long term care issues
Nurse Practice Act
Medication Assistants
Scope of Practice Issues
Prescription drug monitoring program
Review - Issues that have been identified as having a potential impact to nursing and quality health care. WSNA is not likely to work actively on these issues but will monitor them.
Age of consent for mental health services
Reimbursement for any category of provider
End of life issues
Access to family planning services
Nurse delegation
Regulatory Monitoring - Issues that pertain to the various state regulatory agencies such as Department of Health and Labor & Industries. We monitor and provide input to these issues as rule making and agency oversight occurs.
Safe Patient Handling/Ergonomics
Prescription drugs
Eliminating mercury use in health care settings
Nursing assistant education
3rd party reimbursement parity for ARNPs
Nurse delegation
Latex allergy
Long term care
Mandatory overtime
State employee’s right to bargain for wages
Medicaid changes/reforms
Mandated coverage of contraceptives
Indoor air quality
DOH/Nursing Commission
Patient and provider confidentiality issues
Blood borne pathogens/Prevention of Sharps Injuries
Nurse technicians
Tobacco settlement implementation
Mandatory Provider Reporting
Adopted by WSNA Board of Directors, November 2007
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