A couple of bills that relate to the nursing shortage in our state might be headed in the right direction. 

Senate Bill 5892 needs action in the House but was still in play, and it received no opposition in its earlier Senate vote of approval. The bill would promote high school nursing programs in a way that could help hospital staffing and foster nursing careers, with a focus on rural settings. 

Finding ways to increase the pipeline of nurses serving in Washington state is good public policy. More nurses in our state can help ensure patients have the best care possible and that nurses have manageable jobs.

Another bill that would limit nurses and could place hospitals in the position of discontinuing services to Washingtonians – or taking on misplaced fines — is HB 1868, sponsored by a slew of Democrats appealing to Democratic House leadership.

The bill is on its deathbed. That’s as it should be. 

Known as the “nurse staffing bill,” I see it as the nurse limitation and “ya can’t get blood out of a turnip” bill. instead of creating better working conditions, it would block the professional judgment of nurses, wouldn’t add nurses that don’t exist and would treat hospitals like bad guys, when hospitals are concerned about increasing the number of nurses available. They don't need more regulation. (Read more about this bill on my blog.)

No bill is dead-dead until the Legislature adjourns, which is scheduled for March 10. But today is a day bill movement is important in what has been a very crowded session. The energy around these two bills suggests they are moving in ways that can benefit, rather than hurt, the state’s health care system.