Washington Center for Nursing

11/06/2025

Please share! The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is now accepting applications for 2026!!
The application period for this program is open from Nov 1 through Feb 5, 2026.

This program is a FREE summer program for high school graduates and currently enrolled college freshman and sophomores. More information about the program and the application process can be found at: https://www.shpep.org/

The SHPEP program provides:
• Travel costs, meals, a stipend, and travel assistance.
• Opportunities to explore health careers, including nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, medical, and dental.
• Guidance from current admissions deans, health
professionals, students, and SHPEP alumni about how to pursue their profession of interest
• Plus, more!

The FREE six-week summer enrichment program
prepares students for a career in the health
professions by enhancing their academic proficiency and
providing career development opportunities.

Explore the health professions with our free summer program The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a free summer program for students to explore their interests in medicine, dentistry, […]

10/30/2025

In 2024, the WCN Washington Nursing Burnout Survey report found alarming levels of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and fatigue among Washington’s nurses.

📊 Some key findings:
• 33% of surveyed nurses felt burned out from their work at least once a week
• 45% wake up fatigued, dreading another day on the job
• 49% say workloads are unsafe for patients
• Only 17% of nurses identified burnout strategies in their workplace

💡 It’s time to prioritize nurse well-being to strengthen and sustain our workforce. WCN is collaborating with Washington nurses and workforce partners to create an Action Plan, due in March of 2026. Stay tuned!!

🔗 Explore this report and additional nursing workforce data at: https://www.wcnursing.org/data-reports-publications/

10/15/2025

📊 Check out WCN’s 2024 ARNP Data Snapshot!

Washington’s ARNP workforce, especially NPs and CRNAs, is highly educated, in demand, and well-compensated, but faces diversity gaps, aging demographics, and educational capacity shortages. Without expanding NP and CRNA program seats and addressing barriers for minority students, Washington may struggle to meet growing demand despite high interest and strong salaries.

This marks the third consecutive year WCN has published data snapshots, helping uncover trends and provide a clear picture of Washington’s nursing workforce to inform state health workforce policy.

🔎 Explore this snapshot and more nursing workforce data at: wcnursing.org/data-reports-publications

10/08/2025

ARE YOU A WASHINGTON:
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)?
Nurse Practitioner Student?
Physician, PA, or other Preceptor for NP students?

If so, WCN invites you to participate in our Fall 2025 Online Focus Groups exploring barriers to clinical placements for APRN students.

💡 Why Join?
Washington State faces a shortage of clinical sites for APRN students. Your insight will help identify barriers and shape solutions.

👉 Sign up today: tinyurl.com/ARNPWCN

(See flyer for available focus group dates & times.)

🎁 Thank You Gift: APRN / Physician / PA / or other preceptors for NP students participants will receive a $150 Amazon e-gift card. Nurse Practitioner Student participants will receive a $100 Amazon e-gift card.

10/07/2025

Oct 30 will be here before you know it. Register today!!

✨ Can you picture yourself teaching the next generation of nurses? Whether in a classroom, a university, or at the bedside as a clinical instructor, your journey can start here!

The Washington Center for Nursing invites you to So You Want to Be a Professor, a FREE half-day Zoom workshop exploring nursing education as a career. Discover the many paths nurse educators can take and how you can be part of building a strong, diverse faculty workforce.

📅 Thursday, Oct 30, 2025
🕘 9:00 am – 1:30 pm
💻 Via Zoom

Nurses and nursing students from underrepresented communities are especially encouraged to join.

👉 Learn more and register today: https://www.wcnursing.org/.../so-you-want-to-be-a-professor/

10/02/2025

📊 Check out WCN’s 2024 Diversity Data Snapshot!

Washington’s nursing student pipeline is remarkably diverse, but this diversity does not fully carry into the licensed RN workforce, advanced practice roles, or faculty positions. This diminishes opportunities for equity in leadership, faculty representation, and advanced practice. Closing these gaps will require targeted supports: mentorship, licensure prep, graduate school access, financial aid, and hiring practices that advance nurses of color into faculty and advanced practice roles.

This marks the third consecutive year WCN has published data snapshots, helping uncover trends and provide a clear picture of Washington’s nursing workforce to inform state health workforce policy.

🔎 Explore this snapshot and more nursing workforce data at: wcnursing.org/data-reports-publications

10/01/2025

It’s Substance Use And Misuse Prevention Month! Download SAMHSA's toolkit and tell the good-news story of prevention: www.samhsa.gov/about/digital-toolkits/substance-use-prevention-month

10/01/2025

09/25/2025

🚀 The 2024 WCN Annual Impact Report is here!

In 2024, WCN advanced its mission to strengthen and diversify Washington’s nursing workforce by:
✅ Reaching 2,050 middle school students through the Teen Nursing Academy
✅ Engaging 315+ clinical partners in the Clinical Placement Initiative
✅ Publishing 2 new workforce reports + 5 data snapshots
✅ Expanding mentorship for diverse nurse faculty
✅ Hosting statewide conversations on burnout, retention, and well-being

We’re proud of the progress made toward strengthening Washington’s nursing workforce and promoting health equity statewide.

🔗 Explore the full report: https://www.wcnursing.org/about/annual-reports/

09/16/2025

📊 Check out WCN’s 2024 Nurse Faculty Data Snapshot!

Washington faces a critical nurse faculty shortage. While faculty are highly educated, they are aging, under-diverse, underpaid, and stretched thin with high vacancy rates. Without bold interventions — salary parity, recruitment incentives, mentoring new nurse educators — faculty shortages will continue to constrain RN program admissions, worsening the broader nursing workforce shortage.

This marks the third consecutive year WCN has published data snapshots, helping uncover trends and provide a clear picture of Washington’s nursing workforce to inform state health workforce policy.

🔎 Explore this snapshot and more nursing workforce data at: wcnursing.org/data-reports-publications