PREP Act Authorization for Health Care Workers with Expired or Inactive Licenses to Administer COVID-19 Vaccines
With actively practicing providers fully engaged in treating patients along with administering vaccines, retired and inactive health care providers can play a key role in taking on the vital work of vaccinating Washingtonians.
• Authorization for retired health care providers to administer COVID-19 vaccine (PDF)
• Registration guide for providers to sign up for the program (PDF)
For questions on how to register for the program, please email waserv@doh.wa.gov.
Healthcare Provider Resources and Recommendations
The Department of Health has developed a wealth of COVID-19 information on its website. Nurses may find the Healthcare Provider Resources and Recommendations web page particularly helpful.
Washington State Nursing Jurisprudence Module
The Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission is excited to announce the new and improved Washington State Nursing Jurisprudence Module developed in partnership with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)!
Earn 2.0 hours of continuing education while learning about nursing laws and regulations. This is an online self-study course. The cost is $15 and registration with NCSBN is required prior to purchase. Visit the Nurse Practice Act - Washington course webpage to get started.
NCSBN Customer Support is available 24 hours a day to assist with access issues or to answer questions about the course.
Notice to graduates of nursing education programs:
The qualifications for licensure as a practical nurse, registered nurse, and advance practice registered nurse are determined by the Nursing Commission and set forth in the Revised Code of Washington and the Washington Administrative Code. RCW 18.79.160 Minimum qualifications to be licensed include successful completion of a Commission approved nursing education program or a program that is equivalent to Commission approved nursing education in Washington State at the time of graduation as determined by the commission. WAC 246-840-025, WAC 246-840-030, and WAC 246-840-090.
The Washington State Nursing Commission has determined that graduates of the following schools do not meet minimum requirements for licensure in the state of Washington:
Name Location Date of Decision
Siena College of Health Lauderhill, FL 1/14/22
Carleen Health Institute West Palm Beach, FL 1/14/22
& Plantation, FL
Carleen Health Institute II West Palm Beach, FL 1/14/22
& Plantation, FL
Carleen Health Institute of South Florida West Palm Beach, FL 1/14/22
& Plantation, FL
Palm Beach School of Nursing West Palm Beach, FL 1/14/22
The Washington State Nursing Commission has determined that these schools are neither Commission approved nursing education programs nor equivalent to Commission approved nursing education in Washington. As a result, graduates of these institutions do not meet minimum qualification for licensure in the state of Washington at this time.
Graduates from these programs who are applying for licensure in the state of Washington are encouraged to consider the Commission's findings. Application fees are non-refundable.
- Advisory Opinions
- ARNP Information
- Board of Pharmacy Information
- Interpretive Statements
- Nursing Care In Community-Based and In-Home Care Settings; Nurse Delegation and Caregivers
- Opioid Prescribing
- School Nursing Information
- Scope of Practice Resources
- Standards of Nursing
Scope of Practice Resources
- Educational Presentation Request Form
- Interactive Scope of Practice Decision Tree
- Safe to Practice Policy (PDF)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Standards of Nursing
- Department of Health Mission Statement (PDF)
- Functions of a registered nurse and a licensed practical nurse WAC 246-840-705
- Nursing Commission Mission Statement (PDF)
- Nursing - Mandatory Reporting WAC 246-840-730
- Secretary of Health - Mandatory Reporting WAC 246-16, 010 through 270
- Standards of Nursing Conduct or Practice WAC 246-840-700
- Violations of standards of nursing conduct or practice WAC 246-840-710
Advisory Opinions
- Administration of Cannabis/Marijuana Products in School Settings: Kindergarten-Twelve (K-12) Grades, Public and Private Schools (PDF)
- Administration of Sedating, Analgesic, and Anesthetic Agents (PDF)
- Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) (PDF)
- Camp Nursing Advisory Opinion (PDF)
- Completion of Death Certifications by ARNP's (PDF)
- Compounding Medications by Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (PDF)
- Cosmetic/Aesthetic Dermatologic Procedures (PDF)
- Death with Dignity (Aid-in-Dying): Role of the Nurse (PDF)
- Determining, Pronouncing, and Certifying Death (PDF)
- Delegation of Blood Glucose Monitoring to Nursing Assistants or Health Care Aides in Community-Based Settings (PDF)
- Infusion Therapy Management (PDF)
- Medical Acupuncture (PDF)
- Mobile Anesthesia: Scope of Practice for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (PDF)
- Naloxone Prescribing Clarification (PDF)
- Neonatal Intubation and Related Procedures (PDF)
- Nursing Telehealth Practice RN, LPN, NT, and NA (PDF)
- Opioid Use Disorder – Medication Assisted Treatment: Nurse Care Managers and Scope of Practice (PDF)
- Perioperative Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) (PDF)
- Portable Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) (PDF)
- Prevention and Treatment of Opioid-Related Overdoses (PDF)
- Public Health Nurses: Dispensing Medications/Devices for Prophylactic and Therapeutic Treatment of Communicable Diseases and Reproductive Health (PDF)
- Registered Nurse Delegation in School Settings: Kindergarten-Twelve (K-12) Grades, Public and Private Schools (PDF)
- Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse Scope of Practice (PDF)
- Role of the Nurse in Supervised Injection Services (SIS) Facilities (PDF)
- Standing Orders (PDF)
- Seizure Disorder Management: Nursing Care Coordination (PDF)
- Telehealth Advanced Practice Nursing Care Services (PDF)
- Verbal Orders (PDF)
Interpretive Statements
- Application of WAC 246-840-4659 to Nursing Homes and Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (PDF)
- Clarification of Opioid Prescribing Rules (PDF)
- Job Titles: Can a RN work as a LPN? Can a LPN work as a NA? (PDF)
- Medication Organizer Device, Letter from Secretary of Health (PDF)
- Medication Organizer Device (PDF)
- Patient Abandonment (PDF)
- Questions of Assignment (PDF)