2011 NURSE LEGISLATIVE DAY
WSNA's Nurse Legislative Day took place on Monday, February 14, 2011 in Olympia, Washington.
IENA Educational Group Director Lynnette Vehrs reported the following:
Nurse Legislative Day was once again a big success for not only representation from the east side of the mountains, but the entire state! This exciting event, which is sponsored by the Washington State Nurse Association (WSNA), is a great opportunity to learn how to advocate for our profession and the public. Several Inland Empire Nurses Association (IENA) board members, nurse members, and WSU nursing students traveled on the beautiful bus rented by IENA. We had the opportunity to voice our concerns regarding nursing issues to state legislators.
Nurse Legislative Day is one of the largest events held in Olympia. Over 700 nurses and nursing students descend on the capitol to learn about the latest policy issues. The keynote speaker, Governor Christine Gregoire, delivered a powerful speech acknowledging the strength the nurses of Washington State hold and the need for us to continue to work on reforming our health care system.
Legislators welcome the opinion of nurses, the profession considered to be the most honest and ethical for the 11th year in a row according to Gallup’s Honesty and Ethics survey. Health industry leaders want more nurses to shape health policy because of their front-line perspective and lack of economic incentive or profit motive. A recent report from the Institute of Medicine titled The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health also emphasizes the need for nurses to be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States.
TOP NURSING ISSUES FOR 2011:
Budget Crisis: Health and Human Services continues to be the most vulnerable and likely place to cut. Social and health services constitute almost 30% of the budget. Much of the remainder of the state budget is protected and cannot be cut, such as K-12 basic education funding (constitutionally protected), pensions, and debt service.
Nursing Education: Washington State Nurse Association (WSNA) supports legislation and budget allocations that maintain access to nursing education to meet the health needs of Washington.
Public Health: Public health nurses and public health departments are the center of a quality health care system and the most cost effective system for disease prevention and health improvement. WSNA supports protection of current funding for local public health capacity and dedicated revenue for public health and public health nursing.
Rest Breaks: Ensuring that nurses receive full, uninterrupted rest and meal breaks is critical for nurses to maintain the alertness and focus required to provide safe and quality patient care.
Take Back Your Meds: WSNA continues to support a safe state funded drug disposal program.
Toxic-Free Kids: Nurses are looking to protect children from toxic chemicals, including banning lead, phthalates and cadmium from many toys and children's products.
There are currently six Washington State Nurse Legislators. We are very proud to have so many nurses serving in the Legislature. With the current and impending nurse shortages, it certainly is an advantage to have RN legislators who understand the strategies needed to address both the recruitment and retention of nurses in Washington State. They have not only raised awareness on nursing but have been champions in health care access and quality patient care.
Next year join us on the bus, or we'll meet you there!
For more, read our March 2011 newsletter.
For more images, visit our online Photo Gallery of the event.