September 19, 2024 (Chapel Hill, NC) – The North Carolina Nurses Association on Thursday recognized the work of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on the Future of the Nursing Workforce at its annual awards luncheon.
NCNA President Trish Richardson, MSN, BSBA, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN, presented the NCNA Certificate of Commendation Award to NCIOM President and CEO Michelle Ries, MPH, and Project Director Brieanne Lyda-McDonald, MSPH, at the NCNA Annual Convention in Concord, noting the need for evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing the nursing workforce.
“The North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s response has been one of the most comprehensive attempts at addressing the problems North Carolina has seen,” said Richardson. “A nonpolitical source of analysis, the NCIOM’s credibility commands attention from policymakers across the state. Its May 2024 report on the nursing workforce led to invaluable collaborative opportunities, with NCNA members and leaders playing prominent roles in the report and its various working groups.”
Over 50 members of the task force learned from experts in nursing education and career progression, workforce retention, and health care payment models, as well as from one another. With an underlying focus on equity, their recommendations call on lawmakers, educators, employers of nurses, trade associations, and the general public to advocate for strengthening pathways to nursing careers, sustaining the nursing workforce, and valuing the work of nurses.
“We are honored to have the work of the Task Force on the Future of the Nursing Workforce recognized by the NCNA,” said Ries. “The recommendations of this task force are the result of months of hard work of task force members. We are hopeful they will help lead to a nursing workforce that is valued, safe, and prepared to meet our state’s needs.”
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on the Future of the Nursing Workforce was convened from February 2023 to January 2024. Funding for the task force was provided by The Duke Endowment, the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office, and AARP North Carolina. The task force was co-chaired by Dr. Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, Immediate Past President, American Nurses Association, Interim Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Duke University School of Nursing; Dr. Catherine Sevier, DrPH, MSN, RN, President Emerita, AARP NC; and Hugh Tilson, Jr., JD, MPH, Director, NC AHEC. Their expertise and insight were vital to the success of the task force.
Read the full report of the task force here – Time for Action: Securing A Strong Nursing Workforce for North Carolina
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is an independent nonprofit organization committed to better health for all North Carolinians. Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1983, the NCIOM provides nonpartisan information and opportunities for consensus-building on issues of relevance to the health of North Carolina’s population. Visit http://www.nciom.org for more information.