SEATTLE – The Washington State Nurses Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Joelle Fathi, DNP, RN, ARNP, as Director of Nursing Practice and Health Policy. In this role, Fathi will develop WSNA’s nursing practice programmatic activities and other mechanisms that improve patient care standards and advance the practice of nursing through regulation, public policy and education.
Fathi brings a rich background in clinical practice, program development, research and policy advocacy to the role. Most recently, Fathi served as Program Director and Lead Nurse Practitioner for the Swedish Cancer Institute with Swedish Medical Center. In her 15 years at Swedish, Fathi served on the Credentials Committee and the Continuing Medical Education Committee. She has driven initiatives and built nationally recognized programs that are clinically based, federally regulated, and system wide.
“WSNA is fortunate to have a nurse of Fathi’s caliber and experience to lead the association forward in our nursing practice and health policy work,” said Sally Watkins, PhD, RN, Executive Director of WSNA. “Her demonstrated excellence in clinical practice, nursing leadership and education, and health care policy advocacy are an incredible asset for nurses in Washington state and beyond.”
Fathi has worked on numerous committees, including the Washington State Legislative Telehealth Collaborative, American Cancer Society, National Steering Committee for Lung Cancer, and the American Thoracic Society.
She is currently clinical assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Washington, where she has taught nursing since 2000, and was nominated as “Exceptional Preceptor of the Year” in 2004. Fathi has also been faculty for physician leadership programs discussing and educating physicians on effective models of collaborative practice with nurses and advanced practice providers. Her research has resulted in numerous journal articles, including a recent article in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) entitled “Nurses Advancing Telehealth Services in the Era of Healthcare Reform.”
Fathi has spent her entire career working collaboratively with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, and has a special interest in maximizing team effectiveness to promote quality patient outcomes and efficient clinical care.
“As nurses, on the front lines of clinical care, we often carry the answers and the skills to address challenges in a pragmatic and patient-centered approach,” Fathi said. “I have committed much of my clinical practice to identifying clinical problems or needs, designing and developing evidence-based clinical programs from the ground up to address these problems. I look forward to offering a robust, impactful and meaningful contribution to nurses on a broader level in my new role with WSNA.”
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About WSNA. WSNA is the leading voice and advocate for nurses in Washington state, providing representation, education and resources that allow nurses to reach our full professional potential and focus on caring for patients and our communities. WSNA represents the professional interests of more than 74,000 registered nurses who live and work in Washington. For more than 100 years, WSNA has championed issues that support nurses, advance professional standards and improve the health of individuals and families in Washington.