Chapel Hill, North Carolina (May 8, 2024) – Nurses provide care in all health environments, and North Carolina is facing a critical shortage of these vital providers. Over 12 months, a diverse group including nurses, researchers, advocates, public health practitioners, payers, and elected officials came together to develop 8 evidence-based recommendations for Securing a Strong Nursing Workforce for North Carolina.
With support from the NC Pandemic Recovery Office, The Duke Endowment, and AARP NC, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine convened the Task Force on the Future of the Nursing Workforce to develop policy recommendations for ensuring that nurses feel prepared and supported to practice in our state.
“The task force has provided a path forward to address a workforce crisis that threatens the health and wellbeing of all North Carolinians,” said Stephanie McGarrah, Executive Director of the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office. “More than ever, we owe it to our nursing professionals to take action using the strategies laid out in this report.”
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.
“The members of this task force worked hard to develop a truly actionable vision for building and sustaining North Carolina’s nursing workforce, ensuring that those who care for us feel safe, valued, and prepared to meet our state’s growing needs,” said Michelle Ries, MPH, President and CEO of the NCIOM.
The task force’s work sought to address driving factors of the key challenges to our state’s nursing workforce:
The task force was co-chaired by Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, immediate past president of the American Nurses Association and current vice dean for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Duke University School of Nursing; Catherine Sevier, DrPH, MSN, RN, president emerita of AARP NC; and Hugh Tilson, Jr., JD, director of North Carolina Area Health Education Centers.
“The task force worked extremely hard to understand how serious the nursing shortage is in North Carolina. Now, we must address the findings, innovate, and make the changes needed to assure a healthy future for our state,” said Sevier.
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is forward-looking and focused on solutions. The organization was founded in 1983 by the North Carolina General Assembly to serve as a source of non-partisan information and analysis to promote effective health policies focused on improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. Learn more at nciom.org.