Calling all Local Unit Reps, or nurses wanting to get involved! This meeting is for you! The officers have organized monthly drop-ins for nurses who are local unit reps or want to learn more about this role.
The more nurses who are united, the more we build power for negotiations this fall!

Meetings are held via Microsoft Teams, on the first Wednesday of every month from 1800 to 1930.

To join each month’s meeting, use the link below!

Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 269 318 780 084
Passcode: nP9q8ku7
+1 206-485-2614,,34941537# United States, Seattle
(888) 313-0615,,34941537# United States (Toll-free)
Phone conference ID: 349 415 37#

ADOs, or Assignment Despite Objection forms, are the forms nurses fill out to raise their voice when an issue is unsafe or needs the attention of the Hospital Staffing Committee. Each ADO that is filled out by a nurse, is discussed and determined by the Hospital Staffing Committee to be resolved, unresolved or dismissed per Senate Bill 5236. When taking the time to fill out these forms, it’s important to remember to include as MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN. Remember, if it’s not charted, it didn’t happen. You cannot be too wordy on these forms. The more information the committee has in the narrative, the better. Details matter to help improved the workplace for our dedicated RNs. Each time a situation is unsafe, or if a break is missed, a form must be filled out and the reasons as to why documented. To learn more about ADOs.

This past year, WSHA (the hospitals’ lobbying arm) sued LNI over that agency’s authority to issue guidance on the recent meal & rest break law. Meaning guidance that was more favorable to health care workers than to employers. In particular, WSHA objected to penalties that LNI would impose for nurses missing their breaks. On December 19, the judge granted summary judgment to LNI and denied WSHA’s cross-motion for summary judgment. Summary judgment is when there is no genuine issue of a fact material to the case; it is a way to resolve a case before going to trial.

Read WSHA’s original lawsuit and the judge’s order.

WSNA’s Government Affairs team partnered with state senator Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver), a former hospital administrator and chair of the Senate Health Care Committee. Cleveland sponsored a bill in 2023 allowing nurses to claim PTSD for work exposure, not just a single event. The bill (SB 5454) became law in May 2023.

The law now states, “there exists a prima facie presumption that post-traumatic stress disorder is an occupational disease” under state law governing industrial insurance (RCW 51.08.140) and it applies to a direct-care registered nurse who has been fully employed in Washington state for at least 90 consecutive days.

Because PTSD can manifest months or years after the trauma, the law says, “the presumption extends to a claimant following termination of employment for a period of three calendar months for each year.”

Nurses who have been out of work or working reduced hours because of PTSD may now get the help they need.

To read more about Presumptive Eligibility for WA Direct Care RNs check out WSNA’s info to go.

WSNA’s biennial convention is coming up April 30 – May 2 in Tacoma. The Local Unit Officers are offering sponsorship to attend should nurses be interested. Scholarships are offered on a first come, first serve basis. If you are interested, email Nurse Rep Jaclyn Smedley at jsmedley@wsna.org and we can connect you to these benefits!

This year, Convention is focused on some of the most pressing issues for nurses right now: Staffing Law Implementation, Workplace Violence Prevention, and Health Equity. You’ll hear from a fantastic line-up of speakers, have fun at the Awards Gala Dinner, meet candidates for WSNA office, and make your voice heard. Learn more and register on the Convention website at wanursecon.org.

Your next monthly meeting is almost here! All nurses welcome to get an update on what is happening around the hospital, and to network and connect. The WSNA Officers will be present to provide and update on the issues being process, and what you need to know!

Join us!

Join the meeting now 
Meeting ID: 228 375 315 005 
Dial in by phone 
+1 206-485-2614,,101491006# United States, Seattle 
(888) 313-0615,,101491006# United States (Toll-free) 
Phone conference ID: 101 491 006#

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jaclyn Smedley, BSN, RN at  jsmedley@wsna.org.