A review of recent national and Washington State nurse staffing data and survey results indicates that there are enough nurses to safely staff hospitals, but that the quality of jobs is leading many qualified registered nurses to leave their Washington hospital jobs.
February 10, 2022
WSNA nurses share firsthand accounts of understaffing from the front lines.
January 17, 2022
The public is becoming increasingly aware of a problem nurses have known about for a long time: the nurse staffing crisis that is dangerously depleting our hospitals. The COVID-19 pandemic has both highlighted and accentuated this crisis.
January 17, 2022
WSNA and the other two primary health care unions in Washington state call for a sustainable, accountable commitment to safe staffing in every department of every hospital in the state.
January 17, 2022
Press release
Statement
We call on employers to clarify their policies, and we call on the state to ensure workers cannot be forced to return while sick, or disciplined for refusing to work while symptomatic with COVID.
January 14, 2022
Press release
Nurses and other frontline workers are calling on hospitals to use the tools and resources they have available to finally begin mitigating this crisis for workers and patients.
October 19, 2021
WSNA nurses from all over Washington state are participating in the VaccinateWA campaign. Listen to their stories in these powerful videos encouraging the public to get vaccinated.
October 8, 2021
In September, the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission put out a statement on COVID-19 misinformation. WSNA sent a letter to the Commission expressing concerns with the statement.
October 6, 2021
The reality cannot be overstated: Washington hospitals are on the brink of a crisis, and without immediate and impactful action to retain and attract critical workers the state’s health care system could face an unprecedented collapse in capacity and care.
September 13, 2021
Because Governor Inslee has issued this mandate, health care employers – public and private – have to abide by the mandate. However, all employers still have to bargain with WSNA over the effects of the mandate.
August 10, 2021
Press release
Statement
As unions representing nurses and health care workers in Washington state, WSNA, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW21 support science-based public health directives on COVID-19 vaccination requirements for frontline health care workers, with medical and religious exemptions.
August 9, 2021
On June 21, Governor Inslee announced that three coronavirus pandemic-related proclamations would be rescinded in anticipation of Washington state's June 30 reopening date. One of these proclamations, the High-Risk Worker Proclamation, will be rescinded June 28 and transition to the new Health Emergency Labor Standards Act.
June 24, 2021
Statement
WSNA is committed to the health and safety of our nurses as well as other frontline caregivers, our families, patients, and communities. In keeping with this commitment, WSNA strongly recommends that all nurses and other health care providers be vaccinated against COVID-19.
June 9, 2021
On May 11, Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5190 into law — which goes into effect immediately and provides presumptive eligibility for workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance.
May 12, 2021
To help deliver vaccines across the state, nurses must register as an Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioner in the Washington State Emergency Registry of Volunteers (WAserv) at WAserv.org.
February 1, 2021
In October, as a winter surge of COVID-19 cases loomed ahead, we spoke to five nurses about their experiences on the front lines over the past year. Here are their stories.
January 14, 2021
Washington hospitals must do better by nurses and health care workers to keep them safe and keep them on the job, where we all so desperately need them.
January 9, 2021
"I strongly encourage you to work closely with the health care workers and their unions in your facilities as you are developing your COVID vaccine distribution and prioritization plan," wrote Governor Jay Inslee in a letter to hospital administrators on Dec. 15.
December 18, 2020
We believe that healthcare workers should be prioritized to receive the vaccination and strongly recommend that registered nurses be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a key component of a comprehensive prevention effort.
December 7, 2020
Press release
Representing more than 64,000 nurses and frontline health care workers, the Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW 21 applaud Governor Jay Inslee for listening to and addressing the concerns of our members.
November 25, 2020
Nurses will continue to step up and take care of patients through this pandemic; state health officials and hospitals need to step up and make sure nurses have what they need to stay safe and healthy
November 13, 2020
Press release
Unions representing 500k+ nurses, health professionals demand Trump’s OSHA stop unconscionable delay and issue workplace protections against COVID-19, influenza, Ebola, and more.
October 29, 2020
WSNA strongly recommends that all nurses and other health care providers be vaccinated against all influenza viruses as a key component of a comprehensive influenza prevention program.
September 28, 2020
The leaders of WSNA and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW today called on state officials to address the serious shortcomings in oversight and transparency that we believe contributed to the severe outbreak of COVID-19 among staff and patients at St. Michael Hospital in Bremerton.
September 2, 2020