On Friday, March 20 the WNA Board of Directors approved a multidimensional plan for addressing Wisconsin’s COVID-19 public health emergency. The board has committed to implementing these strategies through the collective efforts of the Board and WNA’s three Councils, Public Policy, TriCouncil and Workforce Advocacy.

Here is an overview of the plan (a printable PDF can be found by clicking here)

Policy/Legislation

• Allow retired or RNs that did not renew to reenter the nursing workforce via licensure.
• Remove barriers that prevent the delivery of telehealth services
• Request Board of Nursing have authority to waive sections of the Administrative Code for Nurses to increase nurse supply for all areas of Wisconsin.
• Work with Federal and State legislators to request changes in laws or rules that support patient access to care and services.

Workforce Advocacy

• As a member of the Governor appointed Work with Department of Health Services State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee WNA will continue to provide input and recommendations that address the needs of nursing: i.e. access to and utilization of best PPE, appropriate time off work for exposure or acquiring of COVID-19, daily temperature testing of all health care workers, increase the supply of testing supplies, i.e. reagent and swabs.
• Continue to request donation of supplies, from dental offices, beauty salons, construction workers and making of masks by the public as appropriate.
• Create, disseminate, analyze and report on WNA member poll regarding immediate and longer-term needs.
• Promote healthy nurse principles
• Promote the use of CDC Guidelines for COVID-19
• Research if nurses who are pregnant are at a greater risk than their coworkers.

Education

• Work with the Administrators of Nurse Educators in Wisconsin to identify and promote the issues and solutions for nursing education challenges and issues.
• COVID-19 Webinar Training for members.
• Offer strategies for self-care
• Develop Nurse Practice Act refresher course
• Provide education/information on identified medications used to support patient care.

Practice

• Identify practice needs based on nurse poll and develop an education strategy to support needs
• Encourage nurses that are returning to the workforce that they take on assignments that meet their current scope of practice and experience) and seek out training
• Support “Just in Time” training with return demonstration
• Support Blood Drives
• Overview of identified medications that support patient care.
• Identify and promote “best practice” that preserve use of PPE, testing work practices.

Leadership

• Offer regular meetings with the leaders of Wisconsin state nursing associations to identify issues of concerns and possible solutions
• Utilize WNA Rapid Response Structure to provide weekly updates to WNA members on COVID-19 via web-based and on-demand calls
• Send letter to the editor on WNA response to COVID-19
• Work with other key stakeholders to promote strategies that support the nursing workforce and patient care.