The Office of the Governor is recruiting the following members for the Washington State Board of Nursing:
- One Public Member,
- One Registered Nurse,
- One Registered Nurse Faculty at a Two-year Community College Nursing Program,
- One Registered Nurse Faculty at a Four-year University Nursing Program,
- One Registered Nurse Manager or Nurse Executive; and
- One Licensed Practical Nurse.
If you are interested in protecting the public’s health and safety by regulating the competency and quality of licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, advanced registered nurse practitioners and nursing technicians, you are encouraged to apply for a board seat.
The Board of Nursing needs candidates with diverse backgrounds and geographic representation. As a member on the Board of Nursing, you can serve an integral role in ensuring consistent standards of practice, continuing competency mechanisms and discipline, along with monitoring and enforcement of education and licensing of practicing nurses in Washington state. The Board of Nursing’s legislative mandate is to protect the health and safety of the public and the Governor looks for people to study these issues and make decisions in the best interest of the public.
The Board of Nursing meets six times a year, usually on the second Friday in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Board members are required at board meetings and participate on a variety of subcommittees. The estimated time commitment of approximately 18 hours per month.
Nursing members must have been licensed to practice nursing in Washington with at least three years of experience and all prospective board members must be a resident of Washington State RCW 18.79.070: Commission established—Membership—Qualifications. (wa.gov). Applicants should plan to advance their credentials, should only apply if they will remain in the appropriate role for most of the appointment term. For example, those who are Licensed Practical Nurses are requested to remain working in an LPN role for the majority of their appointment before attaining a higher degree. Similarly, Registered Nurses planning to complete an Advanced Nurse Practitioner degree program, would ideally be working as a RN if appointed to a RN board seat.
Public member representatives may not:
- Be a member of any other healthcare licensing board or commission.
- Have a fiduciary obligation to a facility rendering health care services.
- Have a financial interest in the rendering of health services.
Please visit the Governor’s website and complete the application no later than March 14, 2025. For more information about serving as a member with the Board of Nursing, listen to our Board of Nursing Podcast, known as the BONcast, and visit the WABON website to review the qualifications, total time commitment, board participation expectations and guidelines.
If you have previously submitted your application for an appointment in 2024, those applications are still pending appointment from the Office of the Governor, you are welcome to also apply to current positions. We look forward to working with our new Governor in 2025.
Please email questions to WABONBoardApplication@doh.wa.gov.