For this, Change Makers in Washington Nursing interview, WCN spoke with  Wendy Williams-Gilbert, PhD, RN, CARN, NPD-BC, MEDSURG-BC, FIAAN, a rural Washington native and experienced nurse educator, and her journey through clinical care, academia, and healthcare system leadership. From her deep family roots in Eastern Washington to her advocacy for rural healthcare, Wendy highlights the critical role nurses play in advancing health equity. Her personal experiences and professional insights provide a compelling narrative on the importance of access, empathy, and systemic change in nursing.

WCN: Can you share with us a little about yourself?

Wendy Williams-Gilbert: I’m originally from Eastern Washington—my family settled there in the 1800s. We’re a farm family from Lincoln and Spokane counties. I went to high school there, and continued the tradition with my kids, though they ended up graduating from Medical Lake, not Cheney. I moved to the West side to attend college in Seattle, where I earned my nursing degree at Everett Community College and later my RN-to-BSN and Master’s at the University of Washington. After college, I moved around a bit, living in Mississippi and Alabama because my spouse was stationed there in the Navy. Eventually, we came back to Washington to raise our children.

My deep roots in Eastern Washington are why rural healthcare matters so much to me. Growing up, my father’s brother had developmental delays due to a lack of access to childhood immunizations. He had mumps and rubella at the same time, and the family drove him 30 minutes to the nearest rural hospital, only to be transferred to a larger hospital 30–45 minutes further away. Unfortunately, by the time he received proper care, his high fever caused permanent brain damage. This experience profoundly impacted my view on healthcare, especially in rural areas, and fuels my commitment to improving access to care. Growing up, I saw firsthand how the lack of access to care affected my family. That experience, along with growing up on a farm and caring for my siblings and cousins, shaped my desire to become a nurse.

WCN: Can you tell us about your nursing journey so far?

Wendy Williams Gilbert: It’s funny because I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t want to be a nurse. I always felt called to it. I returned to school later than most; I was 25 when I started, which felt old at the time. I initially thought I wanted to go into psychiatric nursing, but my clinical rotations at a rural hospital changed everything. I fell in love with rural healthcare. I started working in the Emergency Department and also in ambulatory care. The beauty of rural hospitals is that you get to try out many different roles, and that helped me realize that I loved education.

I worked as the Wellness Director at a Naval Station in Everett, which was a mix of education and leadership, and that’s where I started to transition into education. After I finished my master’s, we moved to Mississippi, and that’s when I decided to focus on education and leadership. Eventually, I completed my PhD and worked in academia for almost 20 years before transitioning into healthcare systems education, where I am now.

I started at MultiCare Health Systems in March of 2022 and took the role of full-time Medical Surgical System Educator in February 2023.Before this, I worked in academic strategy and program management. When the department where I worked was eliminated, I was laid off, which was a new experience for me. It was challenging at first because I was applying for jobs that I was either overqualified for or didn’t want. But when this opportunity came up, it was a perfect fit.

It’s been quite a journey, but I never really had a set plan—just a willingness to say yes to opportunities that came my way.

WCN: Through your leadership, how do you work to impact nursing and the advancement of health equity in Washington?

Wendy Williams Gilbert: I think what’s really important is having the right voices at the table, especially when it comes to rural health. I try to advocate for rural healthcare and health equity by making sure that the voices from rural communities are heard. It’s not an “us vs. them” situation—it’s about ensuring we’re advocating for the right resources. The challenges in rural areas are very different from urban ones, and my goal is to make sure that the right people are involved in decision-making processes.

One of the things I’m proud of in my career is my certification as a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN). There was only one person on the East side of the state with this certification when I got mine. Now, we have three certified CARNs in our (MultiCare) healthcare system. This certification allows me to bring important knowledge to the table, especially when it comes to opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and other addiction-related issues.

The certification requires a specific number of clinical hours in addiction care, similar to any other nursing specialty. After that, you sit for an exam that covers addiction across a wide range, not just opioid use disorder but alcohol, stimulants, gambling, and eating disorders as well. I had the privilege of working with the University of Washington’s Rural Nurse Consultant program, where we focused on increasing access to buprenorphine in rural areas.

I remember one night during a 12-hour shift in the ER, a nurse was getting very frustrated with a patient who was going through opioid withdrawal. I could tell she was struggling, so I went over and offered to help. I suggested that we go into the room together, and I could show her how I approach these situations.

We went in, and I talked to the patient about opioid use disorder and how we could manage their withdrawal symptoms. I worked with the nurse to create a plan for getting the patient started on buprenorphine and coordinated with their provider to make sure they’d continue to get the support they needed.

The next morning, I came back around 7 a.m. to check in on the nurse and see how things went. To my surprise, the nurse was in a much better mood. She told me that the night had gone so much better than she expected. The patient was calm, pleasant, and cooperative, and the nurse said it was one of the best experiences she’d had with a patient going through withdrawal.

It really struck me how managing the withdrawal early on and approaching the situation with compassion made all the difference. The nurse realized that dealing with addiction wasn’t an extra burden but just part of the regular care we should all be trained to handle.

It was a powerful reminder that with the right education and support, nurses can approach addiction care without stigma, making a real difference in patient outcomes.

WCN: What are some of the overall challenges you face in your work?

Wendy Williams Gilbert: One of the biggest challenges we face is ensuring that patients with addiction issues have access to follow-up care once they’re discharged. This is especially difficult in rural areas where access to specialized care may be limited. When a patient withdraws, it’s crucial that they receive proper care to stabilize them, but ensuring they have the resources they need once they leave is a whole other issue. For instance, someone who needs buprenorphine might not have access to it immediately, and that can lead to a relapse or withdrawal symptoms, which worsen their condition.

I also help lead efforts with MultiCare’s state opioid response grant, working with emergency departments to assist patients who might be going through withdrawal. The key is connecting people with the resources they need in their community. The lack of access to addiction treatments, especially in rural areas, is a significant barrier. If you’re living in Wilbur or Creston, you can’t really drive to Spokane every day to get methadone. So, we might need to look to see if buprenorphine is a better choice, and how to work with that. I think understanding where the resources are and what it’s like in those rural environments has really helped me support people if they’re going through withdrawal.

WCN: What progress towards supporting a diverse and highly skilled nursing workforce in Washington do you find encouraging? And where do you see we still have work to do?

Wendy Williams Gilbert: I believe that addiction care is not just the responsibility of behavioral health specialists—it’s a crucial part of every nurse’s role. Every nurse should be an addictions nurse, no matter what their specialty is. In particular, Med-Surg nurses are often the frontline caregivers when it comes to managing patients who are going through withdrawal. It’s so important that we empower nurses with the knowledge and tools they need to properly manage withdrawal symptoms and care for patients dealing with addiction.

Addiction care shouldn’t be seen as an “extra” responsibility or something outside of regular nursing duties. It’s just another health issue—like heart failure or kidney disease—that nurses should be prepared to address. We need to reduce the stigma around addiction and treat these patients with the compassion they deserve. When we approach addiction as a health condition, rather than a moral failing, we can make a huge difference in patient care and outcomes.

Ultimately, I believe addiction care is a fundamental part of nursing practice, and every nurse, regardless of their department, should be equipped to provide effective support to patients with substance use disorder.
I’d love to see more collaboration across the nursing community to address addiction care in a way that reduces stigma and supports patients in their recovery journey.

Through collaboration with providers in the community and maintaining strong networks, we are seeing progress in improving access to care. For example, programs like WISHA, which has been a great partner in opioid response efforts. The work they’re doing with addiction education is crucial. But I think there’s still more work to do when it comes to rapid access to addiction treatment. While we have a lot of clinics providing buprenorphine, the real challenge is ensuring that patients can get in quickly. There are still gaps, especially in rural areas, where patients might have to wait weeks to get the care they need. If we could make getting addiction treatment easier and more accessible, I think we’d see much better outcomes.