Issue 38.3 - Fall 2008 - The Washington State Nurses Association

Membership Questions • Milestones
Ever Have
Trouble
Locating
Your ANA
Membership
Number
by Patrick McGraw
WSNA Membership
Coordinator
As an active participant in
WSNA, you are a part of
your state organization for
nurses, your local unit and,
at the national level, a member
of the American Nurses
Association.
Your WSNA membership
number and your ANA membership
number are both located
on your WSNA membership
card. Your WSNA
membership number is
different from your ANA
membership number. The
WSNA membership number
is located just beneath the
name on the card and just
above the ANA membership
number.
A WSNA membership card is
mailed to each new member
and also annually to existing
members (quarterly to those
members who pay their dues
by installment).
Member benefits in WSNA
include professional liability
insurance through the
Nurses Service Organization
(NSO), special pricing and
policies with AFLAC, and
much more. Information on
all of the benefits of membership
of WSNA can be found
on the WSNA Web site at
wsna.org ç Membership ç
Benefits.
The American Nurses Association
also offers a wide array
of benefits and discounts
available to members. Information
on the many membership
benefits of the American
Nurses Association can
be found on the American
Nurses Association website,
www.nursingworld.org.
If you do not have your
WSNA membership card
on hand, please feel free to
contact the membership
department of WSNA for
a replacement card. The
membership department
may be reached by phone by
calling 206.575.7979, by fax at
206.838.3099 or by email at
membership@wsna.org
Seattle Children’s
Hospital
Awarded
Magnet Status
The American Nurses
Credentialing Center
(ANCC) has awarded Magnet
status to Seattle Children’s
Hospital in recognition for
its nursing excellence. Less
than four percent of hospitals in the
United States have qualified for Magnet
status and Seattle Children’s Hospital
is the first pediatric hospital in the Pacific
Northwest to achieve this distinction.
Children’s joins the University
of Washington Medical Center as the
only Magnet recognized hospitals in
the state of Washington.
“This is a mark of excellence not only
for our nursing program, but the entire
hospital,” said Dr. Thomas Hansen,
CEO at Children’s. “We are honored
to receive this external recognition of
the exceptional quality of our nurses
— something
our patients and
their families
have known for
years.”
Designation was
awarded after a
rigorous evaluation
process that
began in February
2005. Both qualitative and quantitative
factors of nursing services are
measured. Selection criteria include
such areas as nursing philosophy and
structure, expertise and role of nursing
administration, fiscal resource
management, use of the nursing process,
organizational environment that
supports professional practice, quality
assurance programs, ethics, use of
nursing research and recognition of a
diverse client population.
According to the ANCC, research indicates
that Magnet hospitals produce
better patient outcomes than other
hospitals. Independent research also
shows that Magnet hospitals consistently
outperform their peers in recruiting
and retaining nurses, resulting
in increased stability in patient care
throughout those hospitals. As a result,
Magnet hospitals benefit from reduced
costs due to low turnover.
“This is truly an accomplishment to
be celebrated. The Washington State
Nurses Association congratulates the
entire nursing staff and could not be
more pleased that their hard work,
dedication and professionalism have
earned Magnet status for Children’s
Hospital. We look forward to continuing
our work with the nurses at
Children’s as they continue to provide
excellent care for their patients,” said
Judy Huntington, MN, RN, WSNA Executive
Director.
The Washington Nurse | Fall 2008 | 39