Task Force on the Nursing Workforce

The NCIOM Task Force on the Nursing Workforce examined the need for nurses, their requisite skills and qualifications, the capacity of the state’s educational institutions to produce adequate numbers of qualified nurses, barriers to career advancement, and the workplace environments within which nursing is practiced. The North Carolina Institute of Medicine partnered with the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers, the North Carolina Center for Nursing, and the North Carolina Nurses Association in these effort, and the Task Force was supported by The Duke Endowment.

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Task Force Leadership

All Members

Co-Chairs

Cynthia M. Freund, RN, Ph.D., FAAN

Professor and Dean Emerita

School of Nursing, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Joseph D. Crocker

Senior Vice President

Wachovia

Description

In January 2003, The Duke Endowment granted support to the NC Institute of Medicine to convene the Task Force on the NC Nursing Workforce. Led by by Cynthia M. Freund, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor and Dean Emerita of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, and Joseph D. Crocker, Senior Vice President/Manager of Community Affairs of Carolinas Banking, this year-long Task Force addressed the issues surrounding the nursing workforce situation in North Carolina. The task force carefully analyzed future demand for nursing professionals and paraprofessional personnel in all segments of the NC healthcare industry. The Task Force’s work focused on four primary areas: 1) nursing faculty recruitment and retention; 2) the capacity, quality, and accessibility of nursing education programs, 3) transitions from school-to-work, and 4) the work environments within which North Carolina nurses practice.