The Washington Nurse Magazine

Nurses cite Virginia Mason’s failure to meet minimum staffing standards set out in state law, while also cutting support positions required under the hospital’s staffing plan and expecting nurses to fill in. Oct. 13, 2026 • 2 minutes to read Seattle—With less than 90 days before major enforcement and oversight mechanisms for Washington hospital nurse staffing compliance kick in, nurses at Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) in Seattle are sounding the alarm.

Media coverage In this election cycle, healthcare is part of the affordability issues campaigns are stressing, Jacob Garcia, RN, MSN, chair of the Washington State Nurses Association Political Action Committee, said in a phone call. "Viewing it from my nursing lens, with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, right now [patients'] basic needs are not being met, like shelter and providing for themselves and their family.

The Washington Secretary of State certified primary election results on Aug. 21. Overall, WSNA PAC-endorsed candidates fared well in the primary. The question heading into November is whether these primary results will hold with higher voter turnout expected for the general election. Click here to see the Secretary of State’s breakdown of the final election results.

This August, the U.S. Supreme Court authorized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strip Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from more than a million workers—including an estimated 51,000 healthcare workers who are currently working in vital roles across our field. If you work in a hospital, a clinic, or another healthcare setting, you likely have a colleague who is able to work and contribute to the community because of Temporary Protected Status.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was an absolute gamechanger for me as a nurse working for Public Health. I graduated from nursing school in 2012 and have had some unconventional nursing jobs (not always client-facing), so I wasn’t sure if it was going to even work to apply for the program. The first time I completed the paperwork, I was overwhelmed and not even sure I was doing it right.

Kathi Landon, a much-beloved WSNA nurse representative and mentor, died Sept. 10. She worked at WSNA from March 1997 to July 2014, joining WSNA when the organization was recovering from the union raids that ended in the loss of dozens of facilities to other unions and left WSNA’s finances in the red. At the time, she was one of only three nurse representatives covering the entire state. “They kept WSNA together,” said Judy Huntington, executive director of WSNA from 1999 to 2017.

In 2026, the Washington State Nurses Foundation awarded 23 scholarships totaling $47,000 to students from across the state and at all levels of their nursing education. The scholarship recipients come from the U.S. and abroad. Some want to serve their communities by practicing as psychiatric nurse practitioners, working with vulnerable populations, caring for children and families, and providing trauma-informed care.

In 2026, the Washington State Nurses Foundation awarded 23 scholarships totaling $47,000 to students from across the state and at all levels of their nursing education. The scholarship recipients come from the U.S. and abroad. Some want to serve their communities by practicing as psychiatric nurse practitioners, working with vulnerable populations, caring for children and families, and providing trauma-informed care.

A huge thank you to all those who have supported our members in Spokane who have been affected by the wildfires. Since the Old Trails, Fairview, and Autumn Lane fires broke out, over 10,000 acres of land have been burned, and 883 homes have been lost.

Please email King County Council and ask them to utilize their taxing authority to help bring in revenue now for the public health clinics as we are about to see HR 1 dramatically increase the number of uninsured patients. Add your story below: Please go to the bottom of the pre-written message in the box below and after the last paragraph tell Council about the important care and services you and your colleagues deliver through the clinics.