DSHS celebrates the contributions nurses make across Washington

Home and Community Living Administration nurses help people across the state receive the care and support the deserve.

National Nurses Week, held May 6 -12, is a time to highlight the profound impact nurses have on improving lives, particularly in the arena of health and long-term services and supports. Nurses play a vital role in ensuring Washingtonians can live safely in the community setting of their choice with independence, dignity and access.

Take Amanda McCleskey, RN Clinical Nurse Advisor for DSHS’ Fostering Well-Being program, as an example. Amanda supports medically complex and fragile children and youth with her clinical expertise, thoroughness, and compassion. In one case, she provided extraordinary clinical consultation and care coordination for a young man with medical and behavioral complexities. Amanda attended numerous last minute staffing meetings with this youth’s medical, child welfare, and DDA case managers to support coordination of his placement, medication needs, caregiver support, and transportation. Thanks to Amanda and the team’s efforts, this client thrived in his setting of choice, experienced fewer seizures, and resumed schooling.

Home and Community Living Administration nurses create and support person-centered care plans that bridge teams and communities and facilitate transitions of individuals with complex needs to move and sustain services in their own homes and residential settings. They work to ensure client safety and quality of care whether it is through assessment, case management and care coordination, regulatory oversight and complaint investigation, policy development and training, or technical assistance and consultation. Our nurses exemplify knowledge, empathy, and professionalism and we are so fortunate to have them as part of our HCLA team.

This week let’s all celebrate the compassion and dedication of our remarkable nurses.