Washington State Nurses Association (12/09/24) Munanga, Albert

A new law in Washington state requires health equity education for all registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in the state. Beginning in 2026, nurses in the state will have to complete 2 hours of approved health equity continuing education (CE) annually in order to renew their license or apply for a new one. The 2 hours of health equity CE will be included in the total 8 hours of CE that RNs and LPNs must complete during each licensure renewal period. The training should include instruction about implicit biases, so nurses can learn to recognize their own biases and work on ways to reduce them during patient care. Other topics that may be included into health equity training include understanding structural factors that contribute to health inequities, the development of individual and system-level interventions, skills needed to care for diverse populations, and health assessment skills to help provide culturally competent care. To prepare for the new requirements, nurses in Washington should stay informed about developments regarding the new health equity training curriculum and options available for completion, keep an eye out for in-person or virtual CE courses that meet the new requirements, and engage with other nurses to discuss insights and ways to put health equity principles into practice.

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