The Washington State Legislature’s 2021 Regular Session adjourned sine die on April 25, marking the end of the 2021 legislative session. While the remote session presented new challenges, it also allowed for greater public participation — and the legislature made significant accomplishments.
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.
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.
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.
On June 21, Governor Inslee announced that three coronavirus pandemic-related proclamations would be rescinded in anticipation of Washington state's June 30 reopening date. One of these proclamations, the High-Risk Worker Proclamation, will be rescinded June 28 and transition to the new Health Emergency Labor Standards Act.
Press release
The WSNA Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of David Keepnews, PhD, JD, RN, FAAN as Executive Director. He will join the WSNA staff and begin orientation on September 15, 2021.
Thanks to Olympic Hot Tub for raising $45,050 in support of the Washington State Nurses Foundation's Nurses Emergency Assistance Grant Fund in April 2021.
The WSNA Awards Committee and the Professional Nursing and Health Care Council are proud to recognize and applaud these outstanding WSNA members with the 2021 WSNA Recognition Awards. Join us in celebrating this year's winners.
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.
Never before has the critical role of nurses been so clear. Never before have we been so proud of our profession. To the nurses who have carried us through, thank you and happy National Nurses Month.
“I encourage all people in our state to join me in honoring the nurses of Washington, especially recognizing the critical and live-saving role that registered nurses have filled around our state, country, and world through the current coronavirus pandemic.”
The legislature adjourned Sine Die on April 25, marking the end of the 2021 Washington State Legislative Session.
Gloria Brigham, WSNA director of nursing practice, received a key to the city of Federal Way on April 6 from Mayor Jim Ferrell. Brigham, representing WSNA, was one of seven people who accepted the awards on behalf of healthcare workers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and grocery workers.
WSNA applauds the guilty verdicts delivered against former police officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd. The jury’s conclusion supports what we know to be true: that Black Americans, especially Black men, are too often victims of systemic racism in law enforcement in this country, and the consequences can be deadly.
Today marks the 96th day of the 105-day 2021 legislative session
In 2019, the WSNA Board of Directors approved seven strategic priorities to focus the work of the association on areas of greatest importance to registered nurses and the organization. Within those priorities, WSNA staff developed specific goals and action steps and reported back to the Board on a regular basis.
During this year’s Washington State Nurses Convention, we hope nurses across Washington state will feel connected to and supported by others who have also felt the heavy weight of the pandemic on their shoulders.
Press release
Nurses say PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center needs to do more to attract new nurses and retain the nurses it has after a brutal year on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. On April 10, hundreds of registered nurses and supporters rallied at the Vancouver Waterfront to call for safe nurse staffing at Southwest.
It was a busy week of floor action in both the House and the Senate. Sunday, April 11 is the cutoff to pass (non-budget related) bills in the opposite chamber.
The national theme for Public Health Week 2021 is “Building Bridges to Better Health,” a recognition that making communities safe and healthy is public health’s top priority and that COVID-19 has made that even more important.
Today marks the April 2 cutoff when bills must be voted out of fiscal committees in the opposite chamber.
Both the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives released their budget proposals in late March – and both provided significant new funding for Foundational Public Health Services.WSNA and the Washington State Medical Association issued a joint statement to budget leadership on March 28.
Today marks the March 26 cutoff when policy bills must be voted out of committee in the opposite chamber
This was the tenth week of the 2021 legislative session. Committee hearings continued this week ahead of the March 26 cutoff when policy bills must be voted out of committee in the opposite chamber.