HEALWA: Evidence-based medical information you can trust

Staying current on evidence-based medical practices is crucial to nursing. In a time when the conveÂnience of Google and Wikipedia can expose patients and health care practiÂtioners to inaccuÂrate medical inforÂmaÂtion, HEAL​-WA​.org provides a reliable alterÂnaÂtive. This digital library combines the conveÂnience of a search engine with a massive collecÂtion of authorÂiÂtaÂtive clinical research from the latest e‑journals, databases and e‑books.
From a computer or mobile device, a HEALWA user can access the latest research on, for example, safe patient handling or opioid abuse, point-of-care diagnosÂtics for diabetes or the flu, printÂable patient handouts in English and Spanish, and free opporÂtuÂniÂties to earn continÂuing educaÂtion credits.
All nurses licensed in Washington state have access to HEALWA. Created by an act of the Washington State LegisÂlaÂture in 2007, and adminÂisÂtered through a collabÂoÂraÂtion between the UniverÂsity of Washington Health Sciences Library and the Washington State DepartÂment of Health, HEALWA is the only resource of its kind in the entire country. And for nurses, regisÂtering for a HEALWA account is free.
HOW TO SIGN UP #
RegisÂtering takes about five minutes and requires your license number and the email address you use to commuÂniÂcate with the DOH.
- In a web browser, navigate to www​.heal​-wa​.org and click the ​“Getting Started” link near the center of the homepage.
- Select the option to ​“Create a UW NetID.” Then enter your last name, date of birth and license number (including the letters).
- HEALWA will send a message to the email address you entered to verify your identity. You’ll be asked to create a username and password.
- Create a username and password.
- Start using HEALWA!
To log in next time, click the ​“Log In” link in the top left of the homepage. To log, out simply close the browser window.
HOW TO SEARCH THE COLLECTION #
After regisÂtering for a HEALWA account, the next question we often hear is, ​“How do I find what I’m looking for?” To take the guessÂwork out of searching, we’ve created ​“Toolkits” and ​“Where to Look.”
To use the toolkits, click the blue ​“Toolkits” button on the left side of the homepage. You’ll find resources grouped according to profesÂsional license. The RN toolkit includes Nursing ReferÂence Center, DynaMed (a great alterÂnaÂtive to UpToDate), Patient EducaÂtion ReferÂence Center, CINAHL Complete and more.
Feel free to use any profession’s toolkit! Once you’re logged in, all HEALWA’s resources are availÂable to you.
If you know what sort of inforÂmaÂtion you need but not where to find it, visit the ​“Where to Look” page. It’s nestled in the ​“Help” section, which can be found from the homepage by clicking the ​“Help” link in the top right, then ​“Where to Look” along the left side of the page. Here you’ll see resources listed according to inforÂmaÂtion need, like drugs, mental health condiÂtions and alterÂnaÂtive medicine.
HEALWA TUTORIALS #
For help navigating the HEALWA collecÂtion, take a HEALWA webinar. To sign up, visit the ​“News” section on HEALWA’s homepage. AttenÂdees earn one ContinÂuing Nursing EducaÂtion (CNE) credit.