WSNA



1798320-85090WSNA-PAC 2017 Candidate Questionnaire Please return to Nathasja Skorupa – Political Action Specialist – nskorupa@WSNA-PAC 575 Andover Park W #101 Seattle, WA 98188Non-Incumbents please enclose resume including previously elected positions if anyPlease return by June 12, 2017Name:Phone:Position Seeking/District:Email:Address:City:Zip:PERCEPTION OF NURSING & HEALTH CAREWhat do you perceive to be the role of nurses in the health care system?Have you had any experiences with a nurse in the health care setting that had an impact on you? Please describe.What is your experience with collective bargaining?What have you done, if anything, to improve the health care system?What would you like to do, at the state level, to improve the health care system? NURSING PRACTICE & PATIENT SAFETYMedical errors are now the third leading cause of death in the United States, just behind heart disease and cancer, according to a 2016 study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine – estimating that more than 250,000 patients are killed by medical errors each year. That’s the equivalent of two 747 plane crashes – every day. A growing body of research shows that the care provided by registered nurses has a direct impact on quality of hospital care and patient safety. Nurses intercept 86% of medication errors before there is harm to patients. By adding just one more full-time RN per day, hospitals decreased the number of deaths in ICUs by 9% and in surgeries by 16%.Nursing care requires continuous patient assessment, critical thinking and expert judgment, patient advocacy and education. Those activities are the essence of nursing care and are critical factors in avoiding preventable complications, injuries, and deaths.During the 2017 legislative session, HB 1715 was introduced and passed out of the House – this bill addresses meal/rest breaks and the mandatory overtime loophole. The bill died in the Senate, but will be reintroduced in the second year of the biennium during the 2018 session.Requiring nurses to work without adequate breaks can result in serious medical mistakes. Yet, nurses often work 10, 12 or more hours in a row – sometimes without time to take a break. Ensuring uninterrupted breaks that allow nurses to refocus and recharge can literally be a lifesaver – but breaks don’t happen unless there are enough nurses on shift. Would you support legislation in the next session to provide uninterrupted meal and rest breaks to nurses?YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why notInadequate restrictions on mandatory overtime have nurses working long shifts that may be unsafe and put patient safety at risk. When the original overtime law was passed in 2002, nurses worked an average of 8 hour shifts. Today, the 12-hour shift is increasingly common. A loophole in the mandatory overtime law means that in short-staffed hospitals, nurses are often called back to work an additional shift after their regularly scheduled 12-hour shift – increasing the likelihood of mistakes and leading to accidental patient injury or death. Would you support legislation to ensure limits to mandatory overtime for nurses? YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why notHEALTH ACCESSPublic Health Funding: Before passage of a statewide initiative that implemented the $30 car tab (I-695), local public health departments receive significant funding from the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax. Since that time, public health funding has remained stagnant, while inflation and our state’s population have increased – taking a toll on our state’s ability to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. WSNA believes that public health is essential to our communities and to our health care system.Some public health services are so critical that they must be available to every resident of Washington state – no matter where they live. These services include communicable disease prevention and response, chronic disease and injury prevention, maternal child family health, access to clinical care, environmental public health, and vital records. Do you support long-term adequate funding for Foundational Public Health Services?Would you support critical Public Health Nursing Services like communicable disease prevention and response, Maternity Support Services, and Nurse-Family Partnership?YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why notProtecting Gains from the Affordable Care Act: Washington state is an Affordable Care Act success story. Thanks to the robust implementation of our state-run insurance exchange and expansion of the Medicaid program, we’ve seen the uninsured rate fall by 60 percent. Now, less than 6 percent are uninsured – and 700,000 Washington residents gained health coverage under the ACA. With all the positive gains Washington has experienced under the ACA, much is at risk under the Republican replacement plan called the American Health Care Act.And how would you assure protections for Washington residents currently benefiting from the Affordable Care Act?WORKFORCENursing Workforce Development: The rise in demand is outpacing the supply of health care professionals in our state. Washington currently ranks 42nd in the nation when it comes to nurse-to-resident ratio. Washington, along with other Pacific Region states, is the 4th lowest in the nation in nurse growth. This means that over the next decade, RN demand will outpace supply in Washington State – key drivers being age-related retirement and escalating demand for health care. By 2030, Washington State will need an additional 12,000 nurses. Additionally, the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board projects significant shortfalls in the number of advanced registered nurse practitioners.Nursing schools are consistently turning away qualified applicants due to a lack of slots and the difficulties in recruiting nursing faculty. Solutions to correct this trend must be multi-faceted. WSNA has identified several legislative efforts which could improve the nursing shortage crisis. Would you support:Increased designated nursing enrollment slots for nursing programs?YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why not Increased scholarship and loan repayment funding? YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why notContinued funding for the Health Profession Loan Repayment program to provide educational loan repayment to nursing students and new graduate nurses who complete a service obligation working in rural and underserved communities?YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why notMental Health Services in Washington are in crisis. Would you work to ensure that the budget includes mental health services as funding priority?YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why notSchool nurses are stretched thin across Washington state – with many school nurses covering multiple schools in a district, most schools no longer have a full time school nurse. Would you work to include new funding in the state budget to pay for additional school nurses?YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why notRight to Work: The evidence is strong that labor unions create better work environments, higher wages, stronger benefits, and ensure that workers have a voice on the job. So called “Right to Work” legislation has been introduced in many states, including Washington, with the intent of bankrupting labor unions. The Washington State Nurses Association represents more than 17,000 nurses across Washington state. Together, our nurses share a strong collective voice. Our members have worked with us to achieve higher pay rates, better health benefits, paid family leave, and other accommodations such as staffing ratios that achieve better outcomes for nurses and their patients. And our experience is not unique. States – like Washington – that have strong labor unions, also have higher pay and better benefits. Would you oppose Right to Work legislation in Washington state?YES FORMCHECKBOX NO FORMCHECKBOX If no, why not ................
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