The 1970s: First strike

The 1970s included great achievements and significant events, including changes in the Nurse Practice Act that allowed nurses to diagnose and prescribe treatments and medication; major improvements in salaries and working conditions; the establishment of PUNCH, the political action committee of WSNA (now WSNA PAC); and the first-ever WSNA nurses' strike.

1970

WSNA adopted the first WSNA Legislative Platform.

1972

• After many years of lobbying, WSNA achieved successful passage of a labor relations bill that provided for binding arbitration if negotiations reached an impasse and a strike became inevitable. This law was later amended by the changes to the National Labor Relations Act in 1974.
• WSNA established a political action committee, PUNCH (Politically United Nurses for Consumer Health) — which was later renamed WSNA-PAC. PUNCH was one of the first nursing political action committees in the country, and ANA used PUNCH as a model for its national political action committee, N-CAP (now the ANA-PAC).

1973

• WSNA successfully lobbied for passage of amendments to the Nurse Practice Act to include a new definition of nursing and to provide for the expanding role of nurses in advanced practice roles. Washington became the first U.S. state to recognize the advanced practice nurse as an “independent” provider.
• WSNA successfully pursued amendments to Washington state’s Disability Insurance Act, requiring health plans issued by commercial insurance companies in the state of Washington to pay for covered services provided by registered nurses.

1974

• Dolores “Deo” Little was elected ANA's first vice president.
• Landmark changes were made to the National Labor Relations (Taft-Hartley) Act, providing nurses and hospital employees with the rights to organize and collectively bargain for wages, hours and working conditions.
• The Washington State Board of Nursing unanimously approved the Specialized Registered Nurse/Advanced Registered Nurse Rules and Regulations. As a result, Washington state achieved the most progressive nurse practice act in the U.S.
• Washington's governor appointed six registered nurses and one public member to the newly expanded and restructured State Board of Nursing.
• Continuing education for nurses became a high-priority issue, and the WSNA House of Delegates adopted a resolution to implement a Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP) by the spring of 1975.
• ANA supported amendments to the National Labor Relations Act extending collective bargaining rights to RNs employed in health care facilities.

1975

• WSNA-initiated HB 536, the Health Insurance Contractors bill, was passed — requiring health care contractors (including Blue Shield, Blue Cross) to pay for services of registered nurses and certain other licensed health professionals. A similar bill had been passed in 1973, but was vetoed by the governor.
• The Joint Practice Commission, consisting of WSNA executive committee members and the Washington State Medical Association, began to meet monthly to discuss prescribing of medications, quality assurance and peer review, and to explore areas of potential collaboration.
• Six state nursing specialty organizations and WSNA met for the first time as the Federation of Specialty Nursing Organizations.

1976

• The first-ever WSNA strike took place at 15 of 18 Seattle-area hospitals; more than 1,500 nurses participated and the strike and lasted two months.
• National certification programs for nursing specialties began. Sondya Rose, of Port Angeles, became the first nurse in Washington state to be certified by the American Nurses Association for her excellence in geriatric nursing practice.
• Federal legislation amended Title 18 of the Social Security Act to allow use of Medicare funds to pay for rural health clinic services provided by nurse practitioners, nurse clinicians or other trained practitioners who were certified as adult-family nurse practitioners by ANA.
• The Washington Board of Nursing adopted regulations on “CRN” Prescriptive Authority.

1977

WSNA achieved passage of Senate Bill 2090 (Prescriptive Authority), providing for advanced practice nurses (CRNs) authorized by the State Board of Nursing to prescribe legend drugs. The bill was signed into law by Governor Dixie Lee Ray.

1978

• WSNA held seven regional forums on “Entry Into Practice” in 1978 and an additional 42 forums across the state in 1979.
• WSNA received the ANA Human Rights Award in recognition of achievements in the area of affirmative action in nursing.

1979

• WSNA adopted a position on the future system of nursing education, which delineated preparation of two distinct levels of practice: professional and associate.
• The Washington State Legislature approved the Continuing Education for Relicensure Bill (HB 450) with an overwhelming "yes" vote. The governor signed the bill effective April 1979; the bill was to be terminated on Jan. 1, 1986 — unless extended for "additional fixed time.” The law required nurses to meet certain CE requirements for re-licensure. The bill was allowed to die in 1986.