Health Science training bill signed by the Governor

Health Science students have cause to rejoice today as Governor Inslee signed into law House Bill 1726, a student-led and WSU-supported bill designed to enhance training opportunities for students in nursing, pharmacy and medicine.

Currently students are required to have a professional from their own discipline supervise them if they provide any type of health care service. This policy has led to lost opportunities for students who can’t find available preceptors in their fields or are left in a bind when a supervisor is forced to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. HB 1726 will increase opportunities for inter-professional training by allowing students in the fields of pharmacy, medicine and nursing to be supervised under certain circumstances by preceptors licensed in any of these fields so long as the students have documentation from their respective colleges showing they’ve met competency in the services being performed and also show coverage by appropriate professional liability insurance.

The bill was pulled together by a group of ASWSU Health Science students in the WSU College of Pharmacy. Brandy Seignemartin and Johanna Pantig led construction on HB 1726 and worked with stakeholders from Washington State Pharmacists Association, Nursing Association, Medical Association, Osteopathic Medical Association, as well as the WSU Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy, and the Nursing and Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commissions to get their input on the bill and address their concerns before presenting it before legislators.

Students journeyed out to Olympia back in February to testify on their work in putting together this piece of legislation, which passed through the House and Senate with unanimous votes. Today they returned all smiles to watch their hard work get the seal of approval from the Governor.