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On June 21, Governor Inslee announced that three coronavirus pandemic-related proclamations would be rescinded in anticipation of Washington state's June 30 reopening date. One of these proclamations, the High-Risk Worker Proclamation, will be rescinded June 28 and transition to the new Health Emergency Labor Standards Act.
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.
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.
As a volunteer for the nonprofit organization The Bridge of Hope, Kyla Arama has helped create a self-sustainable medical system in Sierra Leone, a developing country on the southwest coast of West Africa.
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.
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.
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.
The Governor’s office is recruiting for several vacancies on the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission.
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.
The single-greatest risk factor for overexertion injuries is the manual lifting, moving and repositioning of patients, clients and residents. Washington state law requires acute care hospitals to have a safe patient handling program.
I looked out my window and saw the burnt orange sun rise over the Cascades, but the mountain range was hidden by the smoke. Is this our new normal?
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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
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.
DOH is continuing to look for medical practitioners and caregivers who are willing to support health care and long term care facilities in the event of a surge this fall related to COVID-19.
The WSNA and Professional Nursing and Health Care Council awards recognize WSNA members who have made significant contributions in nursing practice, leadership, education and research.
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.
