Inland Empire Nurses Association

https://www.wsna.org/news/2024/q-a-wsna-endorsement-of-kamala-harris-for-president?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2dj8yKBR1QHuRseSuDtZzVglEYlF8g35CndpcY4HUsMIncRIvOyGjOAIA_aem_listiDuHIAj_6xXvU7OIrA

Q&A: WSNA endorsement of Kamala Harris for president The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) Board of Directors has voted to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States.…

Washington State Nurses Association endorses Kamala Harris The WSNA Board of Directors today issued the following statement endorsing Kamala Harris for President of the United States.

Want an opportunity to help diversify the public health workforce? Apply for the Workforce Pathways Program for a paid employment opportunity within the Department of Health. Applications open September 16, 2024 on careers.wa.gov

WSNA raises concerns about draft ANA Code of Ethics provision WSNA calls strike provision in the draft revisions to ANA's Code of Ethics very problematic and encourages members to submit comments.

The application period is now open for WCN's SANE Training Fellowship this fall! But not for too much longer. The application period ends on August 15.

If you are a Washington RN considering SANE training, don’t delay...apply today!

Washington State needs more trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, which is even more true in rural areas where access to this specialized type of patient care can support a survivor's recovery from the traumatic experience of sexual assault in often under-resourced rural communities.

Learn more and apply here: https://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/sexual-assault.../

More great WSNA representation. We are so thankful to be WSNA members.
If you are a WSNA member you are an IENA member. It is a great time to join us. You do not need to work at a hospital to be a member. For more information reach out to IENA or click on the following link.

https://www.wsna.org/membership/application

Keepnews elected as an AFT vice-president WSNA Executive Director David Keepnews has been elected as a vice-president of AFT.

We are so proud of the hard work our WSNA leaders do. Our IENA treasurer, Martha Goodall, was also part of this great project.
Thanks for all of your hard work!!

AFT members preserve history through community service project AFT members gathered this morning to preserve history at Freedmen’s Town, a once-thriving community in Houston founded by formerly enslaved families that has faced decades of deterioration.

Congratulations to WSNA for winning a Pride of the Union award at the AFT convention. The award recognizes the significant increase in WSNA membership over the last 2 years.

July 16, 2024

The Inland Empire Nurses Association (IENA) Board of Directors ask that all members take a few minutes to vote in the 2024 election. IENA represents Regional District 4 of WSNA.

Look for the email that sent today and cast your vote.

THE CANDIDATE SLATE IS AS FOLLOWS:

President

Kathleen Thompson, BSN, RN, CDCES
I have been an active member of WSNA for 6 years, serving in various leadership positions for the last 5 years and joined the IENA BOD one year ago. I am the current Chair of the IENA Legislative Reception Committee. I returned to clinical nursing 7 years ago when I became a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. I currently work in home health in this specialist role. I have 20 years experience in health care performance improvement.

President Elect

Tristan Twohig, RN, CEN
My name is Tristan Twohig, and I am a board-certified Emergency Department charge nurse at Providence Holy Family Hospital in Spokane. With a background in EMS and fire rescue, I have dedicated my career to healthcare and nursing advocacy. Through my involvement in various leadership roles and committees, I focus on enhancing workplace conditions and advocating for fair labor practices while collaborating with state and national nursing associations to promote ethical practices and influence healthcare policies.

I am passionate about healthcare policy reform and actively work on legislative initiatives to support the nursing profession. My advocacy efforts aim to shape policies that improve nurse staffing models, ensure fair compensation, and enhance patient care standards.

My commitment to creating a collaborative and empowered nursing environment drives me to continuously seek improvements in clinical practices, patient safety, and staff well-being. By engaging in policy reform and labor negotiations, I strive to support nurses in providing excellent care and advancing the nursing profession.

Members at Large

Alyssa Boldt, RN
My name is Alyssa, and I have worked as a bedside RN at Sacred Heart Medical Center since 2011 on a floor specializing in cardiac telemetry, sepsis, COVID (for the duration of the pandemic) and multi-system organ dysfunction. I graduated in 2011 from Gonzaga University and have since received my BSN and maintain my PCCN.

In 2019 to early 2020, I served my local bargaining unit as the External Communications Strike Committee Chair, helping focus our bargaining and strike efforts on public outreach and media. From 2020 to 2023 I served as Secretary, then Co-chair, of our Local Unit Officers Executive Committee. After our current contract was settled, I joined our Hospital Staffing Committee, where I presently sit as a voting and active member alongside a fantastic and dedicated team of nursing staff.

With the work I have done, my passion has been to shine a light on the fact that nurses are experts, technicians, therapists, problem solvers, and lightning-fast critical thinkers all in one, and to ensure that light uplifts our profession to allow us to operate at the top of our licenses. Staffing problems, administrative decisions, and public understanding of what we do can all hinder those efforts, and in my committee work I have endeavored to make a positive impact on all of those things. I also believe strongly in uplifting and empowering nurses, so that we can find our individual voices to speak not just to our coworkers about what we want to change, but to face and speak to those who hold more decision-making power over our working conditions with clarity, intensity and pride.

I seek the position of IENA Board Member-At-Large to add a focus to that list in the realm of clinical education for both students and current bedside RNs seeking to further their own expertise and tailor it to the populations they serve. I believe wholeheartedly that the continuum of nursing, from being a student in the first year to a 30-year veteran and beyond, should continue to benefit from the dedication and hard work of IENA, and I am excited and humbled to seek a board position to join that dedicated group.

Please consider me as your candidate for Member-at-Large. Thank you.

Brenda Hoyer, BSN, RNC-OB
Hello! I am Brenda Hoyer. I am a mother of 9, 8 currently living. I am raising my grandchildren ages 12 & 17. I was a doula and after my first hospital birth, I knew I wanted to be a labor nurse. My first career before nursing, was wildly different. I was a professional racehorse jockey! I still ride… but added a few lbs. and much slower lol. I am passionate about family centered care. I love to see new life delivered to the arms, skin to skin with mom or dad. After 25 years, I often am still teary at the miracle of birth! I love NICU care. I work in a level 2 NICU, which means I don’t care for extremely sick or premature infants, just 33-34 weeks and up. I am also a preceptor, training new NICU nurses. I am obsessed with the magic of (neonatal resuscitation program) NRP - how babies are resuscitated. It is absolutely magic to use the EBP MODEL of NRP and see a baby looking so compromised to one lustily crying in mom’s arms in minutes. I would love to serve in advocating for our nurses in the inland northwest as a member at large!

Sarai Libsack, MSN, RN, CPN
Sarai has served as a Director At-Large with IENA since 2018. She has worked locally as an inpatient pediatric nurse for most of her career,and teaches in Gonzaga University's nursing program as well. She enjoys promoting continuing education and furthering of education of nurses and nursing students, as well as promoting the well-being and safety of the nurses in our community.

Inland Empire Nurses Association | Website for the Nurses Association Washington State Region 4 Area We have the funds to assist you! Learn more about our scholorships and reimbursments. Learn More BOARD POSITIONS OPENIENA BOARD NOMINATIONS 2024-2025 If you are interested in being a leader in IENA or know someone who might be a great candidate, this is your opportunity to nominate yourself or someo...

We would like to announce that our Executive Director, Sharon Beltz, has announced her plan to retire. We are sad to see her go but happy that she has plans to spend her time with her grandchildren.
We will be hiring a new Executive Director. If you or, someone you know, is interested please reach out to us. Sharon will be available to help train the new Executive Director once hired.
Please call or email for more information or to apply.
Phone: 509-328-8288
Email: [email protected]

The following link with take you directly to the 2023 Hospital Staffing Law Overview slide presentation.

cdn.wsna.org

Do you or your peers have questions about what is happening with the 2023 Safe Staffing law?
If you answered yes, you can find more information at the following WSNA website. The site includes a link to many helpful resources.

Safe staffing The leading voice and advocate for nurses in Washington state.

Spring-Summer 2024 The leading voice and advocate for nurses in Washington state.

This , IENA honors all those who have served and remembers the men and women who have sacrificed their lives in service.

There is still time to nominate yourself and a friend for open positions on Inland Empire Nurses Association Board of Directors.
This is election year and you can be part of helping nurses gather to support candidates that support nurses.
Are you nervous about being on the board? Don’t be, we have our great Executive Director, Sharon Beltz, who is very supportive and interactive. We also have board members to support you.
We need new board members to keep us changing and meeting the needs of all WSNA/IENA members.

IENA BOARD NOMINATIONS 2024-2025 IENA BOARD NOMINATION FORM 2024-2025

IENA BOARD NOMINATIONS 2024-2025 IENA BOARD NOMINATION FORM 2024-2025

It is time to nominate a nurse leader in your organization to be on the Inland Empire Nurses Association Board of Directors.
Did you love the Nurses week gala or wish you had been able to attend? You can help make this happen while being a leader in your profession.
You can fill out a nomination form for yourself or a nurse leader in your facility.
We hope to have a variety of fields represented.
Please use the form below. If you have questions please reach out to Sharon Beltz, Executive Director [email protected].
Nominations due by May 31st

IENA BOARD NOMINATIONS 2024-2025 IENA BOARD NOMINATION FORM 2024-2025

It is time collect nominations for the 2024-2025 IENA Board of Directors and Nominations Committee. We would love to have new board members from a variety of nursing settings. There are many committees that will have openings. If you are interested in helping on a committee, please fill out a form and make a note that you would like to be involved but are not ready to committee to a board of director's position. Sharon will reach out to you and find a way for you to get involved.
We are working on updating our consent to serve on our website. Below you can find our new one. You can reach out to Sharon, our Executive Director if you want a digital form emailed to you.
Phone: 509-328-8288
Email: [email protected]

Consent to Serve for IENA Elected Office

I, ______________________, am a current member of WSNA and consent to have my name listed for nomination to the following elected office (see below, check one) for the year(s) of 2024-2025.

Elected Offices Open for Nomination 2024-2025 Term
Please select the following position you are consenting to serve for. Please only select one position. If you do not get elected for the selected position you will be asked to serve on an appointed position. We want to have you actively involved with IENA.
 President– 2 year consecutive terms (This term was not filled for the 2023-2024 term)
o 1st year as President
o 2nd year as Immediate Past President

 President-Elect – 3 year consecutive terms
o 1st year as President elect
o 2nd year as President
o 3rd year as Immediate Past President

 Member at Large Even Year (2024-2026) – 2 years (2 Open Positions)

 Nominating Committee – (4 Open Positions: 3 Elected & 1 Appointed)
o Even year term 2024-2026 (2 Open Elected )
o Odd year term 2024-2025 (1 Open Elected & 1 Open Appointed)

By consenting to serve as an officer, director, or occupational group representative, I recognize that I will be expected to attend Board meetings on the selected day each month (monthly meeting day will be determined by new board of directors at the October meeting), participate on a committee (i.e., legislative reception, legislature day, scholarship and awards, newsletter, bylaws, etc.) and to attend any special meetings that may be called.
There are no board meeting July and August unless determined at October meeting or determined by newly elected Board of Directors and Executive Director.

Name as it should appear on the ballot (please print): ___________________________________

NOMINEE DEMOGRAPHICS
I consent to be a nominee for the position(s) specified on this form.
Name: __________________________________ Email: ______________________
Work phone: Home phone: _________________________
Home address: ____________________________ City, State, Zip: ________________________________
Area of practice: ___________________________________

NURSING EDUCATION
School of Nursing: __________________________________________________________
(Name of School, city, and state)

Received: • Diploma • Associate Degree Baccalaureate

Additional
Education: MN • MS • MA • EdD • PhD

Other:

PROFESSIONAL NURSING EXPERIENCE
Present position:
Employer:
If not presently employed in nursing, please indicate the length of time inactive and the reason,
e.g. retirement, etc.:

ACTIVITIES IN ANA, WSNA and IENA
Present office(s); be specific according to district, state, and/or national: ___________________
Past office(s); be specific according to district, state, and/or national:
State Legislative District: Congressional District:

Candidate’s statement which may be used in an IENA publication:

Please use current statement

Signed: Date:

Thank you for your consideration in becoming an IENA nurse leader. We look forward to collaborating with you to support our region and nursing.

Please mail or email completed form to:

Inland Empire Nurses Association
222 W Mission, Suite 231
Spokane, WA 99201

If you have any questions, please contact us by phone or email.
Phone: 509-328-8288
Email: [email protected]

Our 2024 Nurses Week Gala was such a wonderful event.
Here are more photos.

IENA Spring Gala 2024 - WSNA Photos This gallery hosted by SmugMug; your photos look better here.

One of our board members wanted to share a nurses week poem she received from a past nursing student who is now working in Spokane, Washington. The author is Jaylene Shreve-Creger.
Jaylene, thank you for sharing and for your commitment to nursing. We look forward to the great things you will do.

Happy Nurses Week