Nicole L. Miller
Officers
Kai Rapaport
Lela C. Riherd
Julie A. McElroy
WSNA staff contact
WSNA staff contact

Contract
Introducing WSNA Nurse Representative
Posted Aug 18, 2025

Please join me in welcoming Tara Barnes BSN, RN as the oncoming WSNA nurse rep for Whatcom County Health District. Tara has been a licensed RN in Washington for 31 years in subacute and long-term care; pediatric home care; acute, outpatient and intensive care in the hospital setting; and as a clinical instructor. She joined WSNA as staff in 2017, after having served as a union officer at two hospitals in King County.
She is looking forward to collaborating with you and your local unit officers as you approach contract negotiations with the County next month. Tara also works with staff nurses at the Seattle King County HD and Overlake Hospital Medical Center. I will be assisting with any ongoing issues as I transition to supporting our other bargaining units. Please direct new issues to Tara tbarnes@wsna.org so she and your WSNA local unit officers can help you going forward.
I appreciate all of you, and the work we did while I was with your unit.
Sincerely,
Barbara Friesen
Previous updates
Getting ready for contract negotiations starts today!
Aug 05, 2025
Meeting Reminder
Jul 30, 2025
Save the date! Nurses Week event May 7.
Apr 30, 2025
Next WSNA Local Unit Officers Meeting
Apr 15, 2025
Meet and Greet on March 20
Mar 19, 2025
Our monthly WSNA drop-in meeting with our WSNA Local Unit Officers and reps is tomorrow
Feb 19, 2025
Upcoming event
Central Washington Region Nurses Association Annual Meeting
Meet your board of directors, Vote on proposed bylaw changes, Network and enjoy food, drinks and door prizes
WSNA union news
Resources and tools
Document unsafe conditions
If you find yourself in a situation that you believe creates unsafe conditions for patients or for you, you should complete a Staffing Complaint / ADO Form as soon as possible.
By completing the form, you will help make the problem known to management, creating an opportunity for the problem to be addressed. Additionally, you will be documenting the facts, which may be helpful to you later if there is a negative outcome.
WSNA also uses your ADO forms to track the problems occurring in your facility. When you and your coworkers take the important step of filling out an ADO form, you are helping to identify whether there is a pattern of unsafe conditions for you or your patients at your facilities. This information is used by your conference committee, staffing committee, and WSNA labor staff to improve your working conditions.
Representation rights
As a union member, you have the right to have a representative present in any meetings with management that could potentially lead to disciplinary action against you.
If called into a meeting with management, read the following to management when the meeting begins:
If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, I respectfully request that my union representative be present at this meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to participate in this discussion.
Find out more about this crucial right and how to exercise it to ensure your fair treatment and protection.
Continuing education offerings
Enhance your professional competency with WSNA's free online courses.
Earn CNE contact hours through topics like Cultural Humility, Telehealth Assessment, Workplace Violence Prevention, and more. Convenient and self-paced, our courses provide practical knowledge for your daily work. Expand your skills and stay up-to-date with the latest nursing practices.