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Registration is now open for KCNA’s fall events! Find event details below or visit kcnurses.org and click on the Events/Education tab to register.
We hope to see you there!
| | Seattle Thunderbirds invite KCNA to nurse appreciation night | | |
Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
Time: Puck drop is 7:05pm
Location: accesso ShowWare Center, 625 W. James Street, Kent, WA 98032
Parking is free, with more than 1,500 spaces available within walking distance of the arena. View parking information and directions.
Celebrate Nurse Appreciation Night with KCNA at the Seattle Thunderbirds! Join fellow KCNA members as the T-Birds take on the Vancouver Giants on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7:05 p.m. at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent. KCNA members can purchase premium south-end seats for just $26.50 - regularly $40.95. These seats are conveniently located near the arena entrance, concessions and restrooms.
KCNA members may purchase as many discounted tickets as needed using the special link and promo code. Tickets muste purchased by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 6.
Reserve your seats here.
Use code KCNA at checkout.
**This exclusive ticket offer is available to KCNA members only. Limited tickets available.
| | KCNA Fall Book Club hits on theme of global health | | |
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Location: Zoom
Cost: $20 KCNA members, $40 nonmembers, $15 students
Bring Your Own Book: $10 KCNA members, $30 nonmembers, $10 students
Nicholas Enrich had achieved his lifelong dream of becoming U.S. Agency for International Development’s lead official for global health. But following President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, he watched as the agency became an early target of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Enrich witnessed lifesaving foreign aid programs halted and the humanitarian agency to which he had dedicated his career systematically dismantled.
Unable to remain silent, Enrich risked his career by releasing whistleblower memos detailing the administration’s actions and their devastating consequences around the world. The memos went viral, helped revive hundreds of canceled aid projects and were cited in a Supreme Court case challenging the dismantling of USAID. Urgent and deeply human, “Into the Wood Chipper” provides a behind-the-scenes account of a federal agency under siege, one official’s decision to speak out and the millions of lives hanging in the balance.
Facilitator: Cheryl Cooke, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC.
**1.5 hour Certificate of Completion after event evaluation submitted
Register here for the KCNA Fall Book Club.
| | Explore universal healthcare at KCNA Fall Summit | | |
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: The Mountaineers Program Center, Room: Goodman B, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.
Cost: $35 KCNA members, $55 nonmembers, $15 students. Includes boxed lunch.
Registration Deadline: Register by Nov. 5, 2026, or until filled. Limited capacity.
Event Description:
With major changes taking shape in the federal healthcare funding landscape, nurses and advocates are exploring what a path toward universal healthcare could look like. Join the discussion at KCNA’s Fall Summit as we examine different models of universal health care, how they could work and the history of these efforts in Washington state.
Joining us as a presenter will be Carey Wallace, RN, MSN, MBA, board chair of Whole Washington, sharing her perspective as a nurse, healthcare advocate and active WSNA member serving on its Legislative and Health Policy Council. She will be joined by a representative from WSNA Government Affairs, the team that advances nurses’ voices in public policy, monitors legislation and advocates on issues affecting nurses, patients and Washington’s health care system.
Nurses in Action (pending board approval): Following the presentation, we will assemble 400 cold/flu kits for Real Change newspaper vendors.
**2-hour Certificate of Completion after event evaluation submitted
Register here for the KCNA Fall Summit.
| | Cover your health equity training with WSNA | | |
Join WSNA on Oct. 14 for their biennial business meeting and a health equity webinar. WSNA Executive Director Gerard Friesz will share updates on the association’s strategic priorities, upcoming events and ways members can stay informed and engaged as the 2027 legislative session approaches.
Immediately following the meeting, Vanessa Cameron, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, CEN, CNL, will present on ableism in healthcare. A Washington native, wheelchair user and longtime registered nurse, Dr. Cameron brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the discussion.
The webinar meets Washington Board of Nursing health equity requirements for license renewal. Participants who attend the entire webinar and complete an evaluation will earn 2 CNE contact hours.
Register here for the WSNA Business Meeting and Health Equity Webinar.
| UW Center for Nature and Health to host community dinner | |
Explore the connection between nature, health and healing at the UW Center for Nature and Health Community Dinner on Sept. 22 from 6–8 p.m. at Fremont Brewing’s Urban Beer Garden in Seattle.
Featured speakers Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, and Daniel Winterbottom, RLA, FASLA, will discuss the second edition of their book, Therapeutic Gardens: Design for Healing Spaces. The evening also includes a plant-based dinner, drinks and opportunities to connect with students, professionals and community members interested in health equity and access to green spaces.
Tickets are $10 for professionals and $6 for students.
Online registration closed Monday, Sept. 15; however, those interested in attending after the deadline may contact Alicia Keefe for assistance.
Find information for the UW Center for Nature and Health Community Dinner.
| Title VIII legislation advances nursing workforce support | |
In a Sept. 9 policy update, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing highlighted continued efforts to reauthorize federal programs supporting the nation’s nursing workforce. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act on July 22.
Title VIII programs support nursing education, faculty development, workforce diversity and training for nurses serving rural and underserved communities. Reauthorization would extend these programs through fiscal year 2031 and help strengthen the pipeline of nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, educators and other nursing professionals.
The legislation must complete additional steps in Congress before becoming law. Nursing organizations continue to advocate for its passage and sustained federal investment in the nursing workforce.
| Preparing for respiratory illness season | |
Fall often brings an increase in influenza, COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory illnesses. As the season approaches, healthcare professionals and community members can stay informed about current illness trends and available prevention, testing and treatment resources.
Public health recommendations may change as new information becomes available. Visit the Washington State Department of Health and CDC websites for current respiratory illness guidance and surveillance updates.
| Get involved with Real Change | |
Real Change is a Seattle nonprofit and street newspaper that provides low-barrier employment opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Vendors purchase newspapers at a reduced price, sell them in the community and keep the proceeds.
Volunteers help support Real Change in several ways, including preparing and delivering vendor meals, assisting with donation drives and supporting special projects and events. Community members can also help by purchasing a newspaper from a local vendor.
To learn about current volunteer opportunities, visit Real Change or email volunteer@realchangenews.org.
| Seattle/King County Clinic served more than 3,100 patients | |
The 2026 Seattle/King County Clinic brought together more than 100 organizations and 4,727 volunteers to provide free healthcare services to 3,164 people over four days, April 23–26.
Led by Seattle Center and Seattle Center Foundation, the clinic provided $3.1 million in dental, vision and medical care on a first-come, first-served basis. The clinic continued its commitment to reaching a racially diverse and economically disadvantaged patient population while helping address barriers to accessing essential healthcare.
Thank you to the KCNA members and all the volunteers, community partners and organizers who contributed their time and expertise to this important community effort.
Read the complete 2026 Seattle/King County Clinic report.
| Seeing the NICU from both sides | |
September is NICU Awareness Month, a time to recognize NICU patients and families, along with the healthcare professionals who care for them.
In an episode of the Child Life On Call podcast, host Katie Taylor speaks with Brittney, a NICU nurse whose perspective changed when her premature twins were admitted to the NICU. After years of caring for newborns and supporting their families, Brittney suddenly found herself on the other side—as a mother navigating the fear, uncertainty and emotional challenges of having babies in intensive care.
Her story reflects the heartbreak and profound gratitude many NICU families experience. It also offers a meaningful reminder that even experienced healthcare professionals may see patient care differently when they or someone they love becomes the patient.
Listen to Episode 233, “From NICU Nurse to NICU Mom: Premature Twins Born at 33 Weeks — Brittney’s Story,” on the Child Life On Call website or wherever you listen to podcasts.
| Mobile medical unit brings care to tiny home villages | |
The Low Income Housing Institute (LHI) has partnered with Therapeutic Health Services to launch a mobile medical unit serving residents of Seattle’s Tiny Home Villages. Beginning at Interbay Village, the unit will bring substance use treatment and behavioral health services directly to residents, including medications for opioid use disorder. By providing care onsite, the program aims to reduce transportation, logistical and medical barriers that can make accessing treatment difficult. The initiative recognizes that stable shelter, paired with accessible health and supportive services, can help residents improve their well-being and move toward long-term stability.
Learn more about the mobile medical unit.
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