Overview

The NC Center on the Workforce for Health (Center) is proud to announce the launch of the Nursing Workforce Coordinating Council (NWCC), a statewide, nurse-led group of nursing leaders, educators, employers, healthcare executives, researchers, and representatives from key state agencies.

Building on the state’s rich history of nursing workforce leadership, it is nurse-centric, community-informed, and coordinates action on statewide priorities. The NWCC will play an essential role in shaping the future of North Carolina’s nursing workforce by guiding strategy, informing policy, and advancing collaborative solutions to meet the needs of our communities. The NWCC drives the Center’s role as North Carolina’s representative to the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers.

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Purpose & Role

The NWCC was established to guide the Center’s efforts in addressing nursing workforce challenges and advancing the recommendations of the NCIOM Task Force on the Future of the Nursing Workforce (Time for Action: Securing A Strong Nursing Workforce for North Carolina), the Caregiving Workforce Strategic Leadership Council (Investing in North Carolina’s Caregiving Workforce), and NC Health Talent Alliance.

The Center on the Workforce for Health should engage an advisory council to provide data, guidance, and best practices concerning efforts to address the nursing workforce crisis, provide critical perspectives from key interested parties, and decrease duplication of efforts. Representatives of the council should include nursing educators from community college and university settings, nurses with experience in a variety of health care settings, employers of nurses, and representatives of nursing associations and the Future of Nursing Action Coalition.

Strategy 18.3 from NCIOM “Time for Action” report on the Future of the Nursing Workforce

 NWCC members provide expertise in the following areas:

• Strategic Alignment: Enhance visibility of efforts across various partner groups and ensure coordination to deepen impact on shared priorities.
• Data Review and Application: Offering insight into nursing-related data, trends, and workforce metrics, and helping interpret findings for actionable use at the state level.  
• Thought Leadership: Championing nursing education, research, innovation, and clinical excellence across all communities, settings, and populations. Identify issues concerning nursing professionals that need further study.  
• Action Teams: Providing leadership to action teams that will implement strategies to develop and stabilize the nursing workforce.

Membership & Structure

The NWCC includes 26 members, with 13 seats reserved for designated nursing stakeholders and 13 seats open to applicants who hold key positions and roles in nursing. Members serve three-year terms, with no limit on the number of terms. Meetings are held quarterly, virtually, to ensure broad participation across the state.

Reserved Seats (13)

Center on the Workforce for Health (1) 

State agency (5)  

• Department of Health and Human Services
• Board of Nursing  
• AHEC
• Office of the Chief Public Health Nurse
• Department of Public Instruction

Organization that represents nurses (4)  

• NC Nurses Association  
• NC Organization of Nurse Leaders  
• NC Future of Nursing Action Coalition  
• NC Association of Student Nurses  

Organization that represents educators (2)  

• NC Council of Higher Education in Nursing 
• NC Associate Degree Nursing Council 

Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research (1)

Open Seats (13)  

Organization that represents nurses (2)  

Employer of nurses (4)

Educator of nurses (5) – Must include representatives from both the UNC System and NC Independent Colleges and Universities. Must include leadership of the following programs:  

• University (BSN)  
• University (Graduate degree in Nursing) 
• University (HBCU)  
• Community College (AD)  
• Community College (LPN) 

Flex member (1)

Nurse researcher (1)

Get Involved

The NWCC currently has 12 seats open to organizations that represent nurses, employers of nurses, and educators of nurses. Please complete this application form if you are interested in joining the NWCC. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until seats are filled.

There will be further opportunities for engagement beyond direct membership on the NWCC. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us.

Staff Lead

Jill Forcina, RN, PhD, Center Sr. Nursing Advisor & NC AHEC Director of Nursing and Education