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UW School of Nursing Kicks Off Nursing Now Initiative

 

Tuesday, February 19, 2019  Seattle— The UW School of Nursing is working with the state of Washington and other community partners to launch the Nursing Now Initiative here in Washington. The school is also a co-lead in launching Nursing Now in the United States.

The global Nursing Now Initiative was launched in February 2018 and is run in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization. The initiative is focused on raising the profile and status of nurses worldwide. It’s based on the Triple Impact report that concluded that increasing the number of nurses and developing the nursing workforce will improve health, promote gender equality, and support economic growth.

“I am thrilled that the School of Nursing is at the forefront of this very important initiative. Nurses currently make up more than half of the health care workforce, yet there is still a tremendous shortage of nurses. We are working with the state to provide current and future nurses with proper training that focuses on integrating population and behavioral health concepts, so nurses can operate at the highest level of their positions,” stated Azita Emami, the Robert G. and Jean A. Reid endowed executive dean of the School of Nursing, “We are committed to achieving health equity for all and eliminating health disparities, especially for those underserved populations across our State.”

“I fully support the mission and values of the worldwide Nursing Now initiative and am pleased that the UW School of Nursing is taking a leadership role in this effort for the State of Washington and the entire United States,” stated Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. “Nurses play a transformational role in ensuring the health and well-being of all communities and we need to ensure that nurses play a leadership role in the delivery of care at all levels, including the integration of behavioral health and physical health.” Inslee also noted that it is imperative that the State invest in increasing the number of nurses, especially those of color, to create an equitable and healthy future for all populations.

As part of the launch activities for Nursing Now in Washington State, the UW School of Nursing is hosting Baroness Mary Watkins of Tavistock, who is the alternate chair of the global Nursing Now initiative and a British professor of nursing. She sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. The Baroness will be the keynote speaker for the Soule lecture at 5:30 pm on Feb. 21, 2019 in the Husky Union Building North Ballroom.  For more information about the Soule lecture go here.

During the Baroness’ visit to Washington, the School of Nursing has organized three days of events that include site visits to community partners who are having a positive impact on providing access to quality health care, especially to those individuals who are financially challenged or who are struggling with mental or behavioral health conditions.

About the School of Nursing

 

Celebrating 100 years in nursing education and research, the University of Washington School of Nursing is consistently a top-ranked nursing school, according to U.S. News & World Report. Ranked No. 3 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the UW School of Nursing is a national and international leader in improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. The school addresses society’s most pressing challenges in health care through innovative teaching, award winning research and community service. For more information, visit www.nursing.uw.edu.

 

About the Nursing Now Initiative in Washington State

 

The Nursing Now initiative in Washington State is committed to eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity for all populations in the State of Washington. As part of this effort, the UW School of Nursing is working with other schools of nursing across the State, health care partners, and the State to elevate the transformative role that nurses play in addressing health inequities and disparities. Specifically, the Nursing Now Initiative in Washington will focus on:

• Nurse Leadership – Ensure that nurses play a leadership role in the delivery of care at all levels, including physical care and the integration of behavioral health;
• Diversity in Nursing – Increase the number of nurses, especially those of color, so that we enhance access to quality health care for all citizens in the state and develop nurses who are equipped to create an equitable and health future by integrating population and behavioral health concepts throughout nursing curricula;
• Workforce Development and Advancement – Provide current nurses with proper training that focuses on integrating population and behavioral health concepts, so they can operate at the highest level of their positions; and
• Public Policy – Build public policy that promotes and protects health for all and assures conditions that support safe and healthy communities.

 

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