News

COVID-19

COVID-19: Voices from the front lines

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.

WSNA statement on COVID vaccine

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.

WSNA statement on COVID surge and frontline nurses

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

Governor updates vulnerable worker protections

On July 29, Governor Jay Inslee updated the proclamation that provides protections for vulnerable workers in Washington state and extended it through the duration of the current state of emergency.

Don’t call me hero … call me scientist

The world we live in today is forever changed. That’s a good thing in some ways. Historically, nurses have been framed as the caring ones or the angels at the bedside. These aren’t bad descriptors, but they don’t accurately describe today’s nurse. Today’s nurses are scientists, too.

Nurses campaigning in a time of coronavirus

In this election year, the pandemic has made one thing crystal clear: nurses are vitally important to the health of our communities. We need nurses — in our hospitals, in our long-term care facilities, in our schools and in our state legislature.

What are Crisis Standards of Care?

While Washington state has not needed to implement Crisis Standards of Care, a second surge of COVID-19 cases could require our state officials to revisit these standards.

Confronting COVID-19: Nurses on the front lines

Nurses across the state have stepped up and cared for COVID-19 patients under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. From the first chaotic days when guidance and protocols seemed to change on a daily basis, through extreme shortages of PPE and a lack of testing, you have served, and you have cared.

Racism is a public health emergency

A letter from Lynnette Vehrs, MN, RN, WSNA President, and Julia Barcott, RN, Chair of the WSNA Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare.

WSNA calls for reopening of UWMC inpatient psych unit

The University of Washington Medical Center has shut down the in-patient psychiatric unit, without committing to a timeline to reopen it. At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is raising concerns about the psychological well-being of so many of our residents, the UW is denying needed care by shutting down this unit.

Governor Jay Inslee proclaims May as Nurses Month in Washington state

Thank you, Governor Jay Inslee for recognizing May 2020 as Nurse 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.

Major win to prohibit use of carcinogen for PPE sterilization

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries today issued a Hazard Alert prohibiting the use of ethylene oxide for cleaning of face masks, including N95s. This alert is a result of WSNA’s efforts to raise the alarms and advocate for the safety of our members.

A message from WSNA President Lynnette Vehrs

"Know that WSNA is fighting for your safety and your needs through the coronavirus pandemic—with federal and state partners, public health, and employers," says WSNA President Lynnette Vehrs.

I lost visits with my kids because I’m a nurse

Instead of 10 days with my kids, I’m now alone, separated from them indefinitely because a judge agreed with my ex-husband that my job as a nurse puts my kids at risk, and granted an emergency order barring me from seeing my own children.