North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on the North Carolina Nursing Workforce (2004)

North Carolina is indeed fortunate to have avoided many of the extreme shortages of nurses reported in other states. Yet, there are important developments on the horizon that have the potential to cause such shortages. Taking action today to expand the production of new nurses, enhance their education, augment school-to-work transitions, and improve the nursing workplace environment can help reduce the likelihood of a future nursing workforce crisis. Some steps will require new financial commitments either from public or private sources. Others will require a renewed commitment on the part of employers, educators, regulators and the nursing community. However, these steps are necessary if we are to recruit and retain well-prepared and motivated nurses who are needed to meet our healthcare needs now and in the future. Nursing, especially nursing at the bedside in hospitals and in long-term care, requires increasingly sophisticated technical skills and continues to demand intellectual, physical and emotional energy beyond what would be required in many other professions and occupations. It is hoped that the recommendations offered here will help focus the efforts of legislators, educators, employers, the nursing community, trade associations, foundations and the public at large to ensure an adequate supply of well-trained nursing personnel for the future.